Warriors of Shadow
by laloga
Summary: A Jedi and her squad of clones are sent on a mission to uncover information about a new Separatist droid and find themselves on Florrum, in the company of a certain band of Weequay pirates. Features my OCs, Kali and Stone; Mr. Lucas owns the 'verse.
1. A Little Bit of Chaos

_Author's note: This story takes place after the two Clone Wars episodes: "Dooku Captured" and "The Gungan General." It is also a sequel to _All Or Nothing _and follows the timeline established in that story, if you are familiar with my other fics_. _Thank you for reading. All I ask is that you enjoy and leave a review if you are so inclined!_

_Thanks to SerendipityAEY for her beta-work._

* * *

**Warriors Of Shadow**

**Chapter One: A Little Bit of Chaos**

"Alright Captain: do you want the good news, or the bad news?"

"Spit it out, Crest..."

"Fine, fine...no need to get snappy." Crest gave a dramatic sigh over the close-range comm even as Stonewall gritted his teeth. "The good news is that we should be able to take this place out with little trouble, provided..."

"Yes?"

The ordnance man gave a chuckle. "Well, that's the bad news, actually. As long as we don't need to leave here in once piece, we can do it. Otherwise..." He blew air out of his mouth in an approximation of the sound of an explosion. "Smithereens, my friend. A puff of smoke and a cloud of dust: that's all that'll be left of us."

Traxis' voice sounded next. "Not only do you make bad jokes, but you rhyme when you're doing it."

"I am a man of _many_ talents."

Stonewall ignored them. "Is there any other option?" Half of his squad was currently crouched around the glowing schematics of a droid foundry on the world of Coraux, far from the Core; the blue light from the rotating hologram flickered against the helmets of the clones as they discussed the situation beneath the shelter of a small cavern they'd found. It was the thick of night and the air around them was quiet save for the occasional cicada song or rustle of leaves as some small creature stirred in the distance.

"Not that I can see, Captain," Crest replied, his tone more serious. "This place is like a house of cards...see those supports? I don't think this was supposed to be a permanent installation; they didn't construct it very well." Indeed, Stone could see that the factory looked flimsy at best, supported over the sands of one of Coraux' beaches by a series of almost matchstick-thin beams as they appeared in the projection. "It's odd," the ordo man added. "I mean, really odd. Why go through all the trouble to make a droid foundry that wouldn't survive so much as a sneeze?"

"One of the great mysteries of life, I guess," Traxis replied. "So can we do it or not?"

Stonewall shook his head. "I'd rather know more about this facility before we go charging in. I don't know about you, Trax, but I'm in no hurry to die today." He blinked into his HUD and opened up the longer-range comm frequency to contact the other team. "General Halcyon?"

Kalinda did not respond immediately, which made his heart skip a beat, but after a moment he heard her familiar voice in his ear and his chest relaxed a fraction. "Yes, Captain?"

"Any more info on this foundry? It doesn't look good from our end."

"It's no regular factory, if that's what you mean," she replied. He could hear the puzzlement in her voice and smiled to himself as he pictured her brow creasing while she considered the situation. "There's something going on here, something very strange...and secretive." The Jedi and the other two clones had taken on the task of infiltrating the facility while he and the others remained on the outside, "planning the big boom," as Crest had put it.

"Copy that, General." Milo sounded slightly out of breath. "Security here is tight as anything, especially in the lower, middle section. You saw how Weave and I couldn't access it without being detected." He exhaled. "Not too many active tinnies though, which is a good thing."

Stone could hear the doubt in Kalinda's voice as she replied. "Perhaps. Stone?"

"Yes, General?"

"I may have an idea, but I'll need to get into that section."

"Holo-digest version?"

"We need more time."

The captain sighed. "That's not something we have an abundance of, I'm afraid." He glanced beyond their position in the cave; in the distance he could make out the faint, orange glow from the factory where the others were located. "How much?"

Weave spoke next, his voice a whisper. "General...I'm not sure I can configure that door panel without some serious encryption codes..."

"Why are you whispering?" Traxis asked, annoyed. "No one else can hear us, you know."

"If you had any idea how fickle this technology was, you'd be cautious too," Weave replied. "In fact, I'm expecting our comms to go dead any minute from all the interference."

Crest chuckled. "Need some hatch persuasion, General? I have lots of det tape...lots."

"Thanks, Crest," she replied. "But I don't think it will be necessary – yet. Stone?" Her tone was cautious, which set him even more on his guard.

"Yes?"

"Give us an hour. There's something about that section...I need to take a look. Go ahead and set up what you need to; if you don't hear back in an hour, proceed with the detonation. Is that understood?"

_You always knew it could come to this, _he thought, his throat tightening, though he nodded. Realizing that she couldn't see him over their link, he spoke. "Absolutely. But..."

He could hear the smile in her voice. "I have every intention of walking out of here in one piece, Captain. Have a little faith."

"Of course, General," he replied. "Good luck. May the Force be with you." It felt strange to say the words, but it reassured him as well. _She has the Force, _he told himself. _She's more than able to handle this. _

"And you as well, Stone. You too, Trax."

Crest sounded hurt. "What about me?"

Her laughter was bright, making Stone smile despite his concern for her and the others' safety. "Not until you stop with the terrible rhymes."

* * *

Kalinda signed off of the comm channel, thankful once again for the earpiece that she'd procured after their first mission on Japarran a month and a half ago. It was certainly less bulky and intrusive than the ubiquitous wrist comms that most others seemed to favor, though it did make for interesting moments; the earpieces were relatively new to the GAR and therefore some of the kinks were still being worked out. She had heard most of the other team's conversation before Stone had contacted her; though it was distracting, it had made her smile.

During times like these, Kali decided to take happiness where and when she could.

A gesture to Milo and Weave indicated that they should follow her and the trio began to make their way through the factory along one of the catwalks that hung from the ceiling over the massive room. Sweat beaded at her forehead and trickled down her back, even though she'd shed her traditional Jedi tunic before they'd entered, as she did not have the luxury of temp-controlled armor like the clones and the environment was uncomfortably warm. In the distance she could hear the rhythmic, metallic clank of presses and pulleys, the hiss of steam rising from cooling grates and the deep, resonant thrumming of the unseen power source.

Her awareness was extended as far as she could reach it, but so far they had encountered no other life-forms, which was troubling; though the Separatists relied heavily on droids to do the brunt of their labor, they rarely left the clankers without at least one organic being capable of rational thought. Still, though, there were sensors everywhere, sweeping the area in search of those who did not belong. _Like us, _she thought as she paused at a suitable alcove, just outside the next room.

Weave and Milo crouched next to her, their tension palpable. "General," Milo said, his voice sounding small in her ear. "What's the plan?" Though the others rarely joked about him being a "shiny" any longer, at times he still lacked confidence in his skills even though they had improved much during the younger clone's time under Kali's command.

"We need to access that section," she replied, glancing down. The bottom of this part of the factory was not visible from their position at the ceiling; all she could make out was the persistent orange glow interspersed with the silhouettes of machines. The air was thick and hot, the taste of metal seared into her tongue. "But it will require a bit of finesse, I'm afraid. More so than we planned." She looked at Weave. "You can't hack into it, but I might be able to use the Force to...shall we say, _coerce _the door?"

Uncertainty rippled from him and she was again thankful that the Force allowed her to sense the clone's emotions, as their expressions were masked by their helmets. "And that won't set off any alarms? That door was pretty well fortified, General."

Kali shook her head. "I'm not sure how sensitive the panel was. Hopefully not." She smiled at the clone. "But that's where you guys will come in."

"What do you want us to do, General Halcyon?" Milo shifted, his sniper rifle moving slightly against his back.

"I need a distraction," she replied. "But it can't be anything _too _alarming, as I'd rather not give away our presence just yet." She glanced at Weave. "I think if they have something else to occupy them, something not serious, but rather annoying...it should give me the time I need."

Weave nodded slowly, his uncertainty fading into excitement and eagerness as he mulled over her words. "Milo and I can do a bit of damage to some of the manufacturing machines," he mused. "A few crossed wires here and there, coupled with a loose bolt or five..." She could hear the grin in his voice. "Should keep their attention." He glanced at Milo who emanated confusion. "We can disable some of the equipment without raising any alarms, but we'll need to be _careful."_

"Careful's my middle name," the younger clone replied. "Just point me where you want me."

Kalinda smiled to herself. This was one of the best parts, watching her soldiers in action; over the last few weeks she'd noticed a marked improvement in how the clones worked together and with her. They _wanted _to get better, they craved growth and understanding. They _thought_. Thiswas why she was certain that the Separatists would ultimately fail: no droid had ever been made with an imagination, with creativity, with intelligence or with an innate desire to be more than the sum of its parts. "When you're done," she said. "We'll meet back at RV seven."

"How long do you need?" She sensed another flicker of apprehension from Weave, though he hid it well.

One of her hands on his arm allowed her to send him a measure of calm assurance. _This will work. I have faith in you. _"I'm not sure," she admitted. "But we'll stay in contact the whole time." With that, she rose from her crouch and turned to leave.

"Good luck, General," Milo said. "We won't let you down."

She smiled to herself. "I know, Milo. And good luck to you, too."

Kalinda followed the catwalk back towards the center of the foundry, thinking over the best route by which her destination could be reached. Pausing beside an exhaust vent, she took a momentary respite from the heat as she surveyed the factory below her; the room that she was in now appeared to be less of a construction area and geared more for the implanting of the control chips that would allow orders to be conveyed to each droid simultaneously. _I wish it weren't so blasted hot in here, _she thought as she gathered up her hair again, her sleeveless shirt still damp against her back. Though it was shorter than it had been in the past, her dark hair was thick against her neck and still refused to stay in a tidy braid.

Below her feet she could see the newly assembled B1 droids flopping over like rag-dolls on a conveyor belt as the chips were soldered into their backs, after which they were moved along for the next series of additions. Weave and Stone had spent the better part of the approach to Coraux looking into exactly _how _the foundries operated, though Kali had other matters on her mind, things that the Council had instructed her to keep an eye out for.

Things that she was very sure she was about to discover, provided her plan worked.

It was another quarter of an hour before she reached the center room of the foundry. When she and the others had come here initially, she had realized that this job would necessitate a solitary approach. Cameras were everywhere; it had been a massive headache just to get the three of them to the door in the first place unseen, an action that she had only taken when she thought that Weave could access the room with a few, well-placed hacks into the panel.

No such luck.

On her own, it was easier, though she knew that it would all be for nothing if the others didn't do their part. "Weave? Milo? How's it looking?"

There was a brief moment of static and she silently cursed her earpiece, then Weave replied. "We're in position, General." He took a breath as if to say more, but she stopped him, aware that the clone could be long-winded at times.

"Excellent. So am I. Let's make a little chaos, shall we?"

* * *

"This is taking too long," Traxis was pacing back and forth, his boots leaving imprints on the sand at his feet. "She said an hour..."

"I think time is subjective to a Jedi," Crest replied. "And you know Weave...he's probably talking her ear off as we speak." However, he cast a glance at Stonewall just the same. "What do you think, Cap?"

Stone flexed the muscles in his calves as he continued to study the foundry from their position only half a klick away, beneath the cover of several massive boulders that were scattered along the shoreline. He'd adjusted the sensors on his helmet to pick up any and all background noises – just in case – and he could hear the sibilant hiss of the sea as it slithered against the rocks behind them; the sky was still glowing from the factory, the light obscuring any stars that might be seen at this time of night. "We'll give them more time," he said. "Ten minutes." Again, he tried to contact Kali, but was met with only static. The same happened when he tried to call Milo or Weave and he felt a flare of apprehension in his chest, though he tamped it down.

Traxis sighed and lifted his blasters from their holsters at his hips, spinning them around his index fingers as he paced. "Ten minutes. Great."

"Will you sit down?" Crest said. "You're making me nervous with all that pacing, and I don't want to detonate anything until we're ready." He held up the trigger that would change the face of the landscape.

"You stop moving when you're dead," Trax replied; however, after a moment he paused to lean against the boulder, though he kept spinning the blasters. "How long's it been now?"

"For frick's sake..."

Stonewall shook his head. "Not time yet, Trax. Keep calm." His gaze remained on the factory and the orange-tinted sky. _Come on, Kali, _he thought, gritting his teeth. _Where are you?_

* * *

After several moments of concentration Kalinda felt her Force-shield ripple to life around her. The air in her immediate vicinity wavered a little, as though disturbed by heat, and she knew that she would remain undetected by the security cameras, provided she clung to the shadows. It took up much of her energy to keep the shield going but she was determined to succeed. Having made her way to the center room, she stood to one side, her eyes on the doorway through the side corridor that was her goal. Ahead of her were no less than six cameras, all pointing at the aisle that lead directly to the door. Red lights were placed at intervals along the walls creating patches of shadow, which – she hoped – would provide the necessary cover that would supplement her shield and allow her to remain undetected.

She checked in with the others again. "What's the good word, guys?"

Milo spoke, his voice edged with excitement. "Weave's just getting the last part ready...things are about to get silly here, General."

"Good," she nodded. "As soon as you can, make for the rendezvous point. I'll see you there."

"Looking forward to it."

Her booted feet made no sound as she crossed the room and approached the wide, triple-sealed door, swathed in a red glow from the lights of the narrow room. Sweat was rolling off of her in earnest now, as much from the heat of the foundry as from the effort of maintaining her shield _and_ keeping her movements silent, though she allowed herself a moment of respite as she reached the doorway, pausing to gather her strength before the next step. A few deep breaths cleared her mind and helped her focus on the task at hand; the heat was soon forgotten as she felt the Force thrumming in her veins. It filled her with certainty and she eyed the blinking red lights on the security panel for a moment.

Through the Force, she focused her attention on the series of wires and codes that were the core of the panel, looking for a way through. Her eyes closed and she could almost see the delicate inner-workings of the panel until she found what she'd been searching for. _There..._a brush of her mind and she couldn't help but grin as the lights from the console turned green. _I love being a Jedi._

With a hiss, the door slid open, and Kali stepped inside the room, the net of her awareness cast as wide as she could. In the distance, she could now hear the rhythmic pounding of machinery growing more and more erratic, followed with a very unpleasant scraping sound and she nodded to herself. _Good job, guys. Now I just have to do my part._

* * *

Weave's voice was breathless as it crackled through the interference. "Captain...we're at the RV point, but the General's not here yet. Should we wait or meet with you?"

The sky glowed, but it wasn't just from the foundry any longer. Dawn was coming, tinting the sky with muted pink light. Stonewall swallowed and closed his eyes, as if willing Kalinda to appear before him. Her words echoed in his mind but he struggled with the order regardless. The realization struck him like a shot: _I can't do it. I can't leave her. _Though he was holding still, his heart was hammering within his ribcage, a wild thing trying to escape as he grasped for an acceptable solution to the impossible problem.

"Captain?" It was Milo, his tone hesitant. "I think..." His words were drowned out by the sound of a droning alarm. "Yeah...they know we're here." The younger clone sounded resigned.

Weave spoke next. "Captain, should we leave?"

As Stone opened his mouth to speak, he heard her voice in his ear. "Gentlemen; I believe we've worn out our welcome. Let's make our exit."

Though he couldn't see him, Stonewall knew that Crest was grinning as he held up the trigger. He waited several minutes before speaking. "Everyone clear?"

"We're clear, Crest," Kalinda replied. "Light up the sky."


	2. Close Quarters

**Chapter Two: Close Quarters**

This shuttle, though still small, was not as cramped as the one that the squad had taken on their first mission about six weeks ago. At this thought, Kali's brow creased as she watched Milo punch in the coordinates for a nearby system where they would be safe for the time being while she had a chance to go over the intel. _Has it only been a matter of weeks? It feels like ages. _The stars tunneled before the ship, stretched to wires of light that skimmed past them and for a moment everyone was silent as they entered hyperspace.

"What about _Parjai _Squad?" Crest said after a few minutes. "I'd say that last mission counts as a victory, for sure."

"Still with the name?" Traxis replied as he sat in the ship's midsection, disassembling and cleaning his blasters. "I thought you got bored with that idea."

Crest shrugged and plopped down beside his brother at the round table that served as a dining room and conference area, the light from the cabin reflecting off of his shaved head. "Me? Get bored with annoying you? Perish the thought."

"It is a little big-headed," Weave added from his place at the co-pilot's seat. "I think you can do better."

The bald clone made a witty reply, naturally, but Kali didn't hear it, as her attention was focused on Stone, who'd stepped out of the 'fresher and was coming over to her; since the last mission her awareness seemed to gravitate toward him whether or not she guided it. The clone captain approached her and gave a mild salute, his honey-brown eyes on hers. "General."

"Captain." She tried to hold back her grin, but it was difficult when he was so formal. They looked at each other for a few moments before she remembered what she was supposed to be doing. "I'll need to look into the information I got from the foundry," she said to Weave. "You guys will be good up here?"

"We're fine," he replied. "Need any help with that intel?"

Heat crept to her cheeks as she glanced at Stone, who stood to one side. "Maybe; in the meantime, Stone, I need you to work on your report." Her heart was beating a little faster than it should. "I suppose it will be quicker if we go through all the information together," she added, keeping her tone casual.

"Of course, General," he replied, though she sensed a leap of excitement from him at her words. "As you wish."

Kalinda glanced back at the helm; both clones were engrossed in the piloting of the shuttle and another look behind her told her that Crest and Traxis were occupied as well, cleaning weapons and debating something. _Perfect, _she thought, nodding to Stone once before heading to her quarters in the rear of the ship. It was actually not meant to be slept in, as this model of transport had been specially retrofitted for long-range space travel from a design meant only for short trips; however, she had requested something slightly larger than the last ship, which had proved to be too cramped for six adults. As the CO and the lone female presence, Kali had dibs on the private section in the back, originally meant for use as an office, while the guys slept on fold-out sleeping pallets in the ship's midsection.

It wasn't a large area, consisting of a sleeping pallet, a long-range communications device and small table that she had converted to a makeshift desk, covering it with datapads, holomaps and sheets of flimsi, all containing research materials, star charts and other miscellaneous bits of information. In one corner there were several instrument cases that she kept meaning to break out, though she'd hadn't had a chance.

Stonewall entered behind her; the door closed and they were alone for the first time in over a week.

It was growing more and more natural to cross the gap between them and lean against his solid form; the warm press of his hands against her back was all that she was aware of until he kissed her, the action sending her attention spiraling in a multitude of directions that all reached him in the end. Though he was still wearing his armor she held herself against him, feeling the persistent, longing ache in her fingertips turn to a racing flame. She murmured his name once as he kissed her jawline, his mouth seeking the patch of skin at her throat, his left hand cupping her cheek with a tenderness that still startled her, as she'd seen him tear droids apart with nothing but his hands and sheer force of will. His mouth sought hers again and she wondered if it was possible for her heart to actually burst out of her ribcage.

In spite of everything, they had found time for a few lessons.

After what could have been hours or seconds they broke apart and she noted the reddish tint of his skin and the shortness of his breath; she was certain that it matched her own. Kali took a deep breath and smiled at him. "I told you not to call me 'General' anymore."

He chuckled and took her hand. "You know that I don't want to...cause a commotion," he replied. "I think it would just be odd for the others. It's not that I _want _to hide...this from them," he kissed her fingertips. "It's just..."

"I know, Stone," she replied. "I may not like it, but I do understand." At this, he straightened and met her eyes, a question in his gaze. "What is it?"

"I've been thinking about our...situation," he said, his tone serious. "And I think I have a solution." Kalinda raised an eyebrow at him and he took a breath. "I don't want them catching on," he said. "And I think that it may help things if you yell at me."

She blinked once. "Yell at you?"

He nodded. "In front of the others. I think it would through them off the trail."

"Stone..." she started chuckling but stopped when she caught his eye. "You're serious? You want me to yell at you in front of the others?"

"I know it sounds silly," he added. "But I think it'll help."

"About anything in particular? You don't exactly do much to warrant scolding."

He shook his head. "I trust you to come up with a reason."

"And just when I think I have you figured out," she replied, taking another deep breath to cover the fact that she was still trying not to laugh. "Okay," she said at last. "But I should warn you...I can be _very_ harsh if I need to be."

"Of that I have no doubt," he replied, grinning at her. "Thank you," he added. "It will help to make things less complicated than they are."

"Complications make life interesting," she said, leaning up to him again, running her hand over the hair that was still shaved close to his skull, if not completely gone; he hadn't had a chance to shave his face for several days, revealing a layer of stubble that kept drawing her attention. "Take my word for it." After several more minutes she pulled herself away from him, swallowing thickly. "Though, I wouldn't mind a little more privacy right now." At her words she sensed a flare of happiness, arousal, and anticipation from him.

"That would be nice," he replied. "Kali." There was something about the way he said her name that made her shiver and the gleam in his eyes showed her that he was aware of the effect he had on her. She cleared her throat and removed the data-chip from her pocket, stepping away from him to grab one of the datapads; she plugged in the chip and took a seat at her makeshift desk, Stone joining her a moment later. "What did you find?"

Kali shook her head, frowning at the memory. "It isn't good. I almost wish we didn't have to blow the place up just so we could study it a little more." Her eyes met his. "It's a new type of droid," she explained. "The Jedi Council got wind of some kind of 'stealth-droids,' on Malastare, which was traced to the Coraux foundry."

"Stealth-droids?" He straightened and glanced at the 'pad, his attention focused back on the mission. "I didn't know that was possible."

"Me either. But there they are." A droid schematic appeared on the screen of the 'pad and she felt a stirring of unease within her as she studied the information. "Do you see what they're made of? Some kind of new alloy virtually undetectable by sensors or scanners and they are equipped with a kind of shielding device that renders them invisible to the naked eye." Their gazes met before returning back to the intel. "This could be very, very bad."

"We'd never see them coming until they were right in front of us," he added with a frown. "Did you find out if they've actually started mass-producing them? These all look like prototypes. Perhaps we can get a jump on things before they begin sending them out in battalions."

"There's mention of a planet here," she said, scrolling down the screen. "I caught a glimpse of it before I left...there." Her brow furrowed. "Florrum? It sounds familiar."

Stone nodded. "Florrum: Sertar sector, Outer Rim; varied, arid terrain; breathable atmo; sparsely populated by outlaws and brigands." His tone was lilting, the words sounded like something out of a training manual, which, Kali realized, they probably were. "Pirates, thieves and spice-smugglers." The last words were spoken with unconcealed disdain.

"Sounds lovely," she replied. "I'd better send the Temple this information; have Milo set a course for Florrum in the meantime, please."

At this he stood. "Of course." His posture and tone had returned to pure formality, though his gaze on her was anything but. "Florrum: it's not a short trip from here."

"No," she replied. "A day or two at least. Don't worry about briefing the other just yet; we'll get to it later."

He nodded and made to leave, though he paused before the closed door. "When are you going to...?"

"What?"

His eyebrow raised. "Our agreement?"

She looked up at him and kept her expression solemn. "I think it would shatter the illusion if I gave you advanced notice, don't you...Captain?" On impulse, she sent him a very non-formal thought, just to see if he'd pick up on it; she bit back a smile as his cheeks flushed and he grinned at her.

"As you wish, General."

* * *

When Stonewall exited Kalinda's quarters he went to Milo at the helm. "General's orders," he said to the younger clone. "We're to make for Florrum at once."

Milo entered the coordinates and nodded. "All set, sir. We should be there in approximately forty-nine hours." He sighed. "I wish it were closer."

"Hey Cap! Up for a little sabacc?" Crest's words echoed across the small chamber of the ship; he, Traxis and Weave were gathered around the table with a deck of cards poised to be dealt. As Stone shook his head and moved to approach the helm, Crest cleared his throat. "She's not working you too hard, is she? I mean, we barely got out of there alive and she's already having you write reports?" There was no trace of mockery in the bald clone's voice beyond his usual jovial tone. _Still_, Stone thought._ It won't do to have the others catching on._

Deciding to play it off, Stonewall shrugged. "Comes with the burden of command, I guess. Deal me in?" He slid into a seat at the table. "Are we playing for chores or just for fun?"

"Hopefully for fun," Weave replied, frowning at his cards. "Er...I mean, it doesn't matter." As was his habit when he was concentrating, he ran his hands across the twin strips of hair that he kept trimmed on his otherwise hairless skull.

The jagged scar that ran across Traxis' face lifted as he grinned and placed two of his cards face down on the table, swapping them out with new ones. "This_ is_ going to be fun. Who wants to clean the bulkhead? Weave?"

"I should get out," Weave said, shaking his head. "This is just going to end badly."

Stonewall's hand wasn't so bad but his mind wasn't really on the game; he could taste her lips against his, feel the curve of her back as she rose to meet his kiss. His fingertips ached and he still felt a bit muddled with desire, especially when he remembered her words about finding privacy. _That _was one avenue they had not yet explored, though he was eager to – naturally – and he could tell that she was as well. But traveling at a frenetic pace and living in such close quarters with four others, well...it didn't offer many opportunities for anything other than a few stolen moments.

He could still feel the warmth of her skin beneath his mouth as he kissed her neck; her entire body had shivered as he...

"I think you should throw something at him," Crest was saying with a laugh as Weave ran his hands in front of Stonewall's face.

Traxis' voice was what finally snapped him out of his reverie. "_Ke'sush!_" He slammed his fist on the table for emphasis.

"Attention, Captain Stonewall!" Crest added as Stone blinked rapidly several times and glanced around the table. "He lives!" He shot Traxis a grin and the two clones chuckled while Weave rolled his eyes.

"What's so funny?" Milo called from the helm. "What happened?"

Stonewall cleared his throat. "Nothing, Milo. Keep your eyes on the stars." They all laughed as Milo grumbled something unintelligible. Glancing at the table, Stone realized that it was his turn; he selected a card and replaced it with another one from the deck.

"You okay?" Crest met his eyes, a brow raised. "Do you need a cold shower to wake you up?"

Weave had opted to stay in the game, and selected a few new cards. "You looked like you were parsecs away." His tone was neutral.

"Just going over the intel that we gathered," Stonewall replied. "The General made a...discovery on Coraux." He cleared his throat. "I have a feeling that things are going to get a bit more interesting from here on out." His cards were no better than before but he found that he didn't much care.

Traxis grinned and slapped his cards on the table: a winning hand if there ever was one. "More interesting than they've been? Suits me just fine."

* * *

After Stone left the room, Kalinda took a few moments to collect herself, as she had no desire to transmit anything to the Jedi Council in her current, flushed state, though it was not easy to push the memories of Stone's kiss from her mind. _I feel like a teenager, _she thought with a grin as she scanned through the Republic database for information on Florrum. _All knees and elbows around him. _It was unnerving, but not unwelcome, though she had to take a few more deep breaths while she read over the report on the system. _Obi-Wan and Anakin were there, _she noted with a raised brow. _Captured by a gang of pirates and held for ransom? Sounds like they had fun._

Though she hadn't spoken to either of them about the mission, Obi-Wan's report was detailed enough to give her a clear picture of the Weequay pirates that they'd dealt with, particularly their leader, one Hondo Ohnaka. She could almost hear Obi-Wan's familiar voice in her mind as she read through the data:

_They were, as Dooku himself suggested, a dangerous group, though I didn't believe the leader to be as ignorant as the Count claimed. For all of his greed, Captain Ohnaka seemed to operate under his own code of honor – nebulous though it may have seemed to an outsider such as myself – and it was this, in the end, that allowed us to part on somewhat agreeable terms. However, as I mentioned to Ohnaka, the Count is very likely to return to Florrum; he is a dangerous man to cross in the best of circumstances, not to mention after he has been humiliated and held captive. _

Kalinda read through the report several times before setting the 'pad down, mulling over the situation for a few minutes before she decided to contact the Temple. After smoothing out her tunic and hair Kali activated the transmitter and entered the code that would open the secure channel that would carry her transmission to the Council chambers. It was not to be expected that someone would always be on hand to receive a message, especially when much of Master Windu's and Yoda's time was spent dealing with various crises at the front lines of the war, so she merely waited for the indicator light that would alert her that the recording had begun. A flash of green from the device met her eye; she waited a beat before she began to speak.

"Masters," she began. "Our mission to Coraux was successful: the Separatist foundry has been destroyed and the intelligence you requested has been collected. It appears that your informant was correct: the CIS has developed a new type of droid with exemplary stealth capabilities, though I have been unable to determine if the droids are being mass-produced yet. The intel that my team gathered has indicated that the planet Florrum holds the key to this mystery; we are en route as I submit this. I'll report back once we gather more information." She ended the transmission and checked the encryption one last time before sending it across the length of the galaxy to Coruscant.

For several moments she sat in silence, thinking over the past few weeks; her gaze fell on the instruments in the corner of her room and she nodded to herself before rising and crossing over towards them. As she gathered up the cases, Stone's request came to her mind and she couldn't help but chuckle to herself._ Be careful what you ask for, my valiant soldier. You just might get it._


	3. Lessons

**Chapter Three: Lessons**

After several more hands, Crest rose to get a drink of water in the compact kitchen area. "You said we're going to Florrum?" he asked Stonewall, who nodded. The bald clone glanced at Traxis. "You wanted excitement; I think we're going to get some."

"Yes, dealing with pirates and scoundrels is very exciting," Kalinda replied as she entered the room, lugging several instrument cases, which Stonewall immediately moved to help her with. "So is drinking a gallon of caf, but that doesn't make it good for you. Thanks, Stone."

Weave eyed the instrument cases with curiosity. "Practice time again, General?"

"That's right. We have a bit of spare time coming up," she replied. "Okay, you all know the drill: we need a clean table and a chair for everyone." The clones began to disperse; Weave and Crest gathering up the sabacc cards while Traxis arranged the seating and Stonewall helped her set the cases down on the clean table. "Set it on autopilot for a little while, Milo. You need to be a part of this, too."

"Really? I mean...yes, General."

The clones settled around the table; there were a few moments of clattering cases and snapping locks before everyone was holding the instrument that the Jedi had given him after their last mission. After placing a metronome at the center of the table to keep time, Kali raised her Corellian viol and indicated that they should do the same with their own instruments. "We'll warm up with a few of the usual pieces," she said. "And then I want to get into some more intricate stuff. Sound good?" Stonewall watched as his brothers nodded, though he could tell that none of them was quite comfortable with the situation, despite the fact that she had been teaching them for some time now.

Weave glanced at the instrument before him, then at Kalinda. "General...are you still sure about this?" His hands folded in his lap. "We're not very good."

She smiled at him. "No one starts off being phenomenal," she said. "It takes a lot of hard work and practice – which you have all done very well over the last few weeks – but it also takes time and patience. I know you can do it, all of you."

Traxis frowned. "Is that an order?"

"No, Trax," she replied. Stonewall watched as she inhaled and looked at each of them in turn while she spoke. "If you don't want to," she added. "I can't make you, but you should all know that I meant what I said on Japarran: I think that you all have potential to be great musicians and I want to try and cultivate that a little bit."

For a moment, no one moved. Finally Milo spoke, his voice hesitant. "Musicians? Us?" He glanced at the others. "I still don't know, General...we kind of stink."

"And I thought that it was because Trax hasn't showered in a few weeks," Crest replied with a wry look. "My mistake, I guess." Some of the tension lifted with these words and everyone chuckled for a moment, even the scarred clone.

When they had settled down, Kali ran her fingers over the strings of her viol. "I'm really not trying to force anything down your throats," she said. "But you all have an affinity for music, whether you're aware of it or not." Still they hesitated and she cast Stone a beseeching look. Though the clones had grown more comfortable around her, he knew that they were still on the fence about the music lessons.

"She's right, lads," he said, sitting up. "After all, we're bred to learn quickly; and remember those blindfold drills where we had to listen for the different tones in laser fire and identify the source?" At his words, the others nodded, though he could still see the doubt in their eyes and he found himself wondering if she might be mistaken. _We're just living weapons, after all, _he thought. _Good soldiers. Nothing more._ He glanced at Kalinda, whose expression he couldn't read; however, a moment later he felt a gentle touch in his mind, as if she was brushing his cheek with her fingertips, and with perfect clarity he _heard _her voice in his thoughts, an utterly foreign sensation.

_No, Stone. You're quite wrong about that. _

Incredulous, he looked at her, but she made no indication that anything unusual had happened as she nodded to the others. "Well there you go," she said, her voice quiet. "It sounds like you already have everything you need." She glanced around the table, meeting each of their identical eyes in turn before raising her viol once more. "On three, okay?" They lifted their instruments and began to play at the Jedi's signal; the resulting, discordant sound made Stonewall cringe, though he tried to keep it to himself. After a few moments of cacophony, Kali raised her hands for them to be silent. "First of all," she said. "You all need to _relax _and stop worrying about being perfect."

"Tell that to the Kaminoans," Crest interjected.

Kalinda paused for a moment, as if collecting her thoughts. "Over the last few months, I've seen how capable each and every one of you are." Her eyes caught Stonewall's. "I have learned that there is so much more to you guys than firing blasters and tossing grenades. Besides," she added, sitting back. "Playing music in a group helps you work better as a team. It's common knowledge." Everyone was silent for a moment as they absorbed her words before they tried again; the resulting sound was perhaps a tiny bit better than before, though the cabin was still filled with discordant, experimental sounds.

As they played, Stonewall took a moment to look at each of his brothers and their respective instruments: Milo had taken over the _tablas _– the small, dual-sided drums that Kalinda had brought with her on their last mission to Japarran – though he stumbled with the rhythm on more than one occasion, his eyes revealed that he was concentrating on keeping the pace steady. Though Stonewall had been somewhat reluctant to give up the instrument that Kali had given him, he noted that Milo seemed to enjoy the _tablas_, despite the fact that he wasn't proficient with them.

The next layer of sound was made by Kali's dulcimer, which she'd loaned to Weave. He plucked at the strings with hesitation, his eyes fixed on the frets at the neck of the small instrument, his fingers moving with slow deliberation as he strove to get every note perfect. _She spent a bit of time with him __going over chords and such, _Stonewall thought as he watched his brother. _He seems to have taken to the theory part of music better than the others, at any rate._

In her travels, Kali had come across a Mandalorian flute, called a _bes'bev,_which she'd given to Traxis. Though he seemed to like the instrument's heritage, the scarred clone appeared to be ill at ease as he blew into the end of the flute; the sound that emerged from the end was tenuous and mild – not at all like Trax – and Stone could see his brother's brows knitting in frustration as he played. However, Kalinda had shown them all holovids of great _bes'bev _players; Stone figured that the potential sounds from the unassuming length of wood and metal were what drove Traxis to keep up his studies.

A sudden lift in tone brought everyone's gaze to the bald clone, who was holding a Nautolan harmonica to his face, his cheeks puffed out as he blew into the crescent-shaped instrument with a series of slots at both the concave and convex sides. The sound was bright, cheerful, and vaguely irritating when Crest got carried away – which he did, upon occasion – but overall it added an interesting layer of sound to the ensemble.

Stonewall cast a glance at Kali, who was watching the fumbling attempts of the clones with unabashed interest even as she ran her bow across the strings of the viol; the sound that emanated from where she sat teetered on the edge of mourning and celebration, the music seemed to expand in the cloistered cabin, filling the space between them until Stonewall was certain that he should've been able to see the notes as they hovered in the air. She had said that the viol was one of the first instruments she'd ever learned and he could hear the truth of that statement in the clarity of sound that she was coaxing from the unassuming device.

His own instrument had been nothing less than a total shock when she'd presented it to him: an ion-steel gitar. It resembled the dulcimer only in the most basic sense, as the general shape of the body was the same, but this instrument was made of a highly-polished, silver-toned metal that weighed at least ten times more than the little dulcimer. Light from its smooth body reflected off of his surroundings as he moved a small, plastic disk across the metallic strings, careful to keep the pressure light in case he broke something. But he couldn't deny that the resulting sound was incredible. Deeper and more resonant than the dulcimer, it had an keen edge to it that he had never heard and the sudden thought struck him that he never wanted to hear any other sound besides the singing of the ion-steel guitar.

It felt like a struggle for the clones to play even the simple melody, but after a few hours everyone started to feel a little more confident. At some point, Kalinda had set her viol down and had taken to giving each clone a bit of personal instruction or assistance, which was a great help.

"Good job, Milo," she said to the younger clone. "Let your body learn the rhythm and keep it up; if you think about it too hard, you could lose it." She moved to Weave and indicated that he should change the position of his wrist that held the neck of the dulcimer. "This way your fingers will be able to reach their goals more efficiently," she said, nodding as he did so. To Crest and Traxis she demonstrated a better technique for the inhalation and exhalation of air. "You should meditate," she added with a smile at Crest. "It helps with controlling your breath."

"Now she's telling me how to breathe," Crest sighed. "What next?"

At last she approached Stonewall, who was having trouble maneuvering his fingers across the taut strings. "You need to increase your pressure," she said quietly, kneeling beside him. "Strike harder with the pick."

"It's too nice of an instrument," he replied, looking at her. "I'm afraid I'll break it."

She smiled and moved her hands over his; her skin was warm. "Don't be. It's been through a lot more than you might imagine." He noted the strength in her fingers as she helped him position his hands over the strings, though her touch was soft. After several moments she moved away from him and took her seat once more, observing for several minutes. As he plucked the strings, Stone glanced at Kalinda, whose viol remained in her lap; she looked back at him and he felt something pass between them again, like a slip of wind over the water. He flicked his eyes around the table, to the others and then back at her, his mouth forming the silent words.

_Thank you._

_

* * *

_

Initially, Kalinda was not sure what had driven her to push the clones to learn the instruments, other than an innate desire to spread music whenever she could; however, as she listened to their protests the realization that they had never even been offered a chance to do something _more_ with their lives struck her. _It isn't fair, _she thought as she watched their attempts at the making music. _It's not fair that all they've known is death and fighting, especially since their time is so short. _Stonewall's self-doubt hit her the hardest, which was why she'd tried to send him an encouraging thought. He'd picked up on it, she knew, which was another thing that perplexed her, as she'd never been able to speak through the Force to anyone but Obi-Wan. _He's a mystery to me, _she thought, watching Stone pluck at the ion-steel. _A marvel. _

The realization that she enjoyed being part of such a close-knit group of people struck her as well. _Ever since Jonas died, I don't like to be alone, _she thought as she played. _And the life of a Jedi is usually so solitary...it's nice to feel like I belong to a "family," as unusual as it may be. _The memory of her long-dead Master brought her a flash of sorrow, for it had been he who taught her to play most of the instruments on which she was now instructing the clones. _I think he would be proud, though, _she thought. _I think he would have done much the same thing, if he were here._

After a few hours of practice, when she had shown each of them a few methods on their instruments, it was time for a break. Weave took a turn at the helm while Milo and Crest began to prepare a meal. Traxis went to the 'fresher and Stone offered to help Kali carry the instruments back to her "room." He followed her back to her quarters and she was sorely tempted to shut the door and kiss him again, but she remembered his desire to keep the others out of it, so she kept the door open. Instead, she watched as he placed the ion-steel case against the wall, his movements careful. "Do you really like it?"

He looked back at her, his honey-brown eyes crinkled as he smiled. "It's extraordinary," the pitch of his voice dropped to a whisper. "Kali."

Again, the chill across her skin when he said her name. "I thought you would," she replied.

"I never asked you...what prompted all of this?" His hand moved over the instruments. "I think you have them all at a loss."

"Them and you?"

He shrugged. "Kind of," he said. "But I've seen you do it before, on Basrah, when you wanted us to use our helmets for drums. This is...different."

She nodded and they stepped back towards the door. "You're right, Stone. I suppose...I just want you all to know that you can do _more_." The urge to touch him was overwhelming, but a deep breath helped her set the thought to the side. For now. "Is it a mistake?"

"Not at all," he replied as they entered the ship's midsection. "Just unexpected. A welcome surprise."

A grin crossed her face. "Serendipity?"

His look back at her was warm and his smile made her throat catch. "Exactly."

* * *

Later that night, it was Stonewall's turn at the helm.

Despite the fact that the autopilot had always been reliable, it was protocol to have at least one person on bridge duty at all times, and save for the thrumming of the engines the ship was silent; the others were fast asleep. Though his eyes were on the stars that passed by, in his mind's eye he could see Kalinda. It was not unusual for his thoughts to return to the dark-haired woman – in the recent months it had become a habit for his attention to focus on her, if only to convince himself that she was not a hallucination – but the intensity of his feelings was moving to a place where he was not sure she'd be able to follow.

Her words on Japarran came back to him: _I have nothing to offer you. I'm a Jedi; there are some things I will never be able to do, some futures I will never have, should I even survive long enough to have them. _Though he knew that all of this – except for the part about being a Jedi – could be said about himself, he found it hard to care about any of it when he looked in her dark eyes. The Republic, the entity that they were both sworn to serve, was at war, which meant that both of their lives were constantly at risk; he felt like he was walking on a tightrope suspended over a twisted, grappling sea. _One slip, _he thought as he glanced at the console. _One misstep, and we'll both crash into the waves. But what else am I supposed to do? _At this thought he sighed and checked the console again to ensure that all was well, before he looked out the viewscreen and into space.

Everything was quiet.

After several minutes the sound of soft footfalls behind him made his head turn and his heart leaped when he saw Kali walking towards him, her face and form illumined by the lights of the helm. She was barefoot. He said her name once but she made no reply as she approached him, straddled his torso in the pilot's chair and pressed her body against his, her mouth seeking his own. For a split second he was torn – they were so exposed here – but then she murmured his name and ran her hands along his chest, which caused something within him to release.

It was all he could do to not push her down onto the helm itself and make love to her right then and there, though the actual mechanics of the act were still unknown to him. _I'm pretty sure I'd figure it out, _he thought as he ran his hands along the curve of her hips and kissed her throat, feeling her pulse quicken beneath his touch. _It'd be fun to try, at any rate. _As their mouths met again, something began beeping insistently on the console; he tried to ignore it, tried to focus only on the softness of her lips and the taste of her skin...

His eyes snapped open and he nearly jumped out of the seat as the alarm sounded. Cursing his inattentiveness, Stonewall glanced at the readout. _Damn asteroids. _They'd been unable to stay in hyperspace during this leg of the journey, due to the asteroid fields that populated the area; though it wasn't difficult to maneuver the ship away from the chunks of rock and ice, he didn't like cutting things quite so fine when it came to the safety of those aboard the vessel. However, within a few minutes they had cleared the field and he allowed himself to relax again. Another glance at the console told him that all was well, so he took a moment to lift his hands from the helm and rub at his eyes, the memory of his dream still fresh.

"Hello there."

At first he thought he was dreaming again, but in the next moment she was sliding into the co-pilot's seat and checking over the console. Out of sheer reflex he straightened in his seat.

"Everything okay?" Her skin was tinted by the lights of the helm, much as it had been in his dream. "I felt a disturbance..."

Even though he'd spent much time in her presence, the Jedi's senses were still uncanny at times. Stone nodded. "More or less. Just some asteroids – nothing major."

After a few moments she gave him a sideways glance. "I couldn't sleep," she said at last, tucking her legs up into the chair. "Strange dreams." Her gaze turned back to the stars.

Heat crept to his cheeks and he cleared his throat. "I...er...same here," he finished, though the words sounded silly. He looked back at the helm. "Despite the delay, we should arrive on schedule."

"Good," she said with a nod. "The sooner we get there, the sooner we can figure all of this out. I suppose we should do a scan from orbit first, just to see if we pick up anything of interest before we start traipsing through the desert."

Stonewall nodded again. "Sounds like a plan."

"The irony isn't lost on me," she added, leaning back in the seat. At his look she gave a wry grin. "The fact that we're tasked with finding something that can't be seen."

"Stealth-droids," he replied. "I _really _don't like the sound of that."

They were quiet for a few more minutes before she turned back to him, her hair shifting with the motion. "Stone?"

"Kalinda?"

Rather than respond immediately, she seemed to hesitate before leaning over to give him a quick but firm kiss on his mouth. "I promise you, it will be worth the wait." Her smile glowed in the faint light before she stood and slipped between the chairs to make her way back to her room, leaving him bewildered once more.


	4. Discovery

**Chapter Four: Discovery**

"There it is," Weave breathed. "Florrum." He was at the helm; after nearly two days of travel their destination had finally appeared in the viewscreen: a dull planet that looked as if it consisted of thick, brown dust and sand, which – according to all accounts – it did. "I've been reading up on it," he added, glancing behind him. "Sulfuric geysers, canyons, deserts..."

"Sounds like paradise," Traxis interjected.

Weave ignored him. "And, of course, pirates. They're pretty interesting...did you know that they have their own codes of honor – well, to some degree anyway. They seem to be a creative bunch, too. I read an account of a group of Corellian pirates who were marooned on an asteroid: they somehow used all of the spice in their cargo hold to create a beacon, a light, for someone to spot them."

"Are you thinking of a career change?" Crest said, beside him at the co-pilot's seat. "Because it sounds like you want to trade in your Deece for one of those lizard-monkeys." He twisted around in the seat and grinned at Kalinda. "What's the plan, boss?"

Stone and Kali were seated at the table, looking over a holographic projection of the planet's surface that was rotating slowly before them. Kalinda glanced out of the viewscreen and nodded. "Keep us in orbit for now, Weave," she said. "Let's go over the next few steps." _Florrum, _she thought. _This should be interesting_. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as Stone studied the image in front of them. He caught her gaze and lifted an eyebrow, as if picking up on her thoughts.

Within a few moments the clones were gathered around the table, their identical faces cast in a blue glow from the projection. Kali cleared her throat. "The Jedi Council sent us to Coraux to destroy the droid foundry; however, there was another reason behind the choice of that particular planet." She paused and glanced down at her datapad before she entered a command on the screen; moments later, a new image appeared.

Weave leaned forward. "That looks like a super battle droid." He glanced at Kali, a brow raised. "Another foundry?"

"Not exactly," she replied. "Though we are on the lookout for a factory, of sorts." She nodded to the image of the bulky droid. "It's more or less like the droids we all know and love, except for one major difference."

"I'm guessing it doesn't make a mean _uj _cake?" Crest asked.

Kali laughed. "Not quite." She glanced at Stonewall, who straightened.

"It's got a few 'special' mods," he added. "For one thing, it's made of an alloy that can't be detected with our scanners or sensors." He pointed to a small panel on the droid's mid-section. "And see that? It appears to be a shield generator-"

"Like the rollies?" Milo asked, raising his brow.

Stone nodded. "Similar, but more advanced. This shield actually prevents the droids from being _seen. _In a sense, they're invisible."

Weave's eyebrows lifted. "Not at all? How is that possible?"

"Who cares?" Traxis replied. "What are we going to do about it?"

The image of the droid died, replaced with the image of Florrum. "We're not sure exactly how they work," Kalinda said to Weave. "Though I'm hoping to change that." She turned her face to the rotating image in front of them. "We need to scan the planet and see if we can't find a potential location for the place that might be producing these things. Once we nail down a location, we'll need to go dirtside and take a look around."

"Under the radar, of course," Stonewall added. "No need to cause a commotion if we can help it."

"What about the pirates?" Milo asked.

Traxis held up one of his vibroblades, the light from the hologram glinting off of the edge. "Worried about a bunch of spice-addled lowlifes, shiny?"

Milo frowned. "Just trying to prepare for any contingency."

"Well," Kali replied. "They shouldn't have any quarrel with us, provided we don't give them any reason to think otherwise." She inhaled deeply. "But they are _not_ to be underestimated. Generals Kenobi and Skywalker – not to mention Count Dooku himself – were held in captivity by a group of Weequay pirates on Florrum not a month ago; the Jedi reported the leader to be quite canny and unpredictable."

"We can take 'em," Traxis said with a shrug.

Kali chuckled. "I'm sure you can, but I'd rather it not come to that." She met the eyes of each man, her gaze falling on Stonewall last of all. "But if we do engage them," she said, leaning forward. "We must be very, very careful. I want to avoid any violence if possible,nor do I want to wind up in another hostage situation."

"_That _would surely make someone on Coruscant very cross," Crest replied, leaning back in his chair. "And we certainly don't want that."

"No," Stonewall added, his eyes on Kali. "We don't."

* * *

They remained in Florrum's orbit for several hours while Weave and Milo performed a detailed scan of the planet's surface; though the droids were not detectable by normal sensors, the place where they were being kept was most certainly able to be picked up. Crest and Traxis began gathering the supplies they'd need while they were on the planet's surface and Stonewall found himself in Kali's quarters again, though there was something on his mind besides kissing her.

"What's wrong?" she asked as he entered the room, the door closing automatically behind him. She was sitting cross-legged on her sleeping pallet, surrounded by datapads, one of which she'd been studying.

Unsure at first how to vocalize his concerns, Stonewall did not reply for a minute or two, instead kneeling beside her to select the nearest 'pad and thumb through it. She did not push him for an answer, though he could feel her attention on him. Finally he shook his head. "Just...something I've been thinking about." He took a deep breath and met her gaze. "Back on Coraux you gave me an order: that we were to proceed with the detonation of the foundry whether or not you were out."

She nodded.

"I couldn't do it," he continued. "You gave me an order...and I couldn't follow through. The thought of...something happening to you..." He swallowed and glanced back down at the 'pad, though he had no idea what was on it. "It was too much."

There was silence for a moment while she absorbed his words, though he got the sense that she was mulling over the correct thing to say. Finally she nodded again. "I know how you feel, Stone. The thought of putting you in danger is unnerving to me as well. However," she placed a hand on his arm. "I don't have to tell you about duty. We both know all about that particular aspect of life."

He gave a nod. "I know. But I've never hesitated like that."

"That's not true," she said. "You disobeyed me on Japarran when I ordered you guys to go after Raphan. And you stowed aboard Ventress' ship at Basrah...I know _that_ was against protocol."

"That wasn't the same," he replied. "In both instances you were wounded and I was doing what was necessary to prevent further harm from coming to you. But on Coraux..." he trailed off and shook his head. "It wasn't the same. My hesitation could have cost us the mission."

There was a soft touch on his cheek; he turned to her to see that she was leaning towards him. "Stone...there will always be danger in our lives," she said. "Even if we weren't at war, I am a Jedi and you are a soldier. Our lines of work are not without...complications." They shared a small smile at the word before she continued. "But I believe that it is possible to do one's duty without letting personal feelings cloud your judgment and still allow yourself to...care for someone else." She brushed his cheek again. "We have no way of knowing what the next moment will bring, so I think it's important to savor what the current one contains. That's why I said we should just take _this _–" she kissed the edge of his mouth with a feather-touch. " – one day at a time."

"One day at a time," he repeated, the words sounding slow and strange in his ears. "I remember."

"Trust yourself, Stone," she replied, her face close to his. "I do. I know that you'll do the right thing, when and if the time ever comes."

He opened his mouth to protest, but decided against it as he looked into her dark eyes again. "I want to," he murmured as he reached for her, marveling at how natural it was becoming to kiss her, to cup her cheek and feel the way her body moved against his hands; but despite all of that, he couldn't help but feel the nagging doubt in the back of his mind.

_But what if I can't? _

_

* * *

_

Florrum was even more unpleasant than Kali had been anticipating, which was saying something.

There was no relief from the mid-afternoon sunlight, only the pervasive, brownish-yellow dust that settled onto the clones' armor as Kalinda led them through a section of desert. To their right was a yawning canyon that broke up the landscape, with a series of large rock formations that were clustered around the lip of the chasm. A shift in the wind brought a streak of dust into Kali's nose and she sneezed, which, of course, allowed only more dirt to make its way into her mouth. "Remind me again why I don't have a nice suit of armor like the rest of you?" she grumbled to Stonewall, who was beside her.

Behind his helmet she could hear the smile in his voice. "I'm sure we could outfit you, if you wanted. Though," he added, glancing at her. "It might not be a bad idea to at least get you equipped with some greaves and gauntlets...like some of the other Jedi."

She patted the blaster at her hip. "This is enough for me right now, but I'll think about it." She glanced behind her at the others. "How much farther is it?"

Weave's head tilted while he checked his HUD before he replied. "Following this canyon about five klicks east-south-east," he said, indicating the direction. "At least, according to what we picked up on the ship; it may have just been an abandoned pirate settlement."

"There was too much fortification for that to be the case," Stonewall replied. "I think it may be what we're looking for. Keep an eye out; I don't want any surprises."

"Stealth-droids," Crest said, giving a mock-shudder. "_Not _looking forward to coming across any of those."

Traxis shifted his weapon. "I'll bet they go down same as any clanker."

The group continued on through the rocky desert, their progress made slower by the open terrain; Kalinda was reluctant to make the group overly visible by running straight through, so they were taking a winding course to reach their destination: what appeared to be an underground facility that had looked too small to be a regular foundry, but was no settlement. The stiff breeze carried the ubiquitous dust all around them and Kali found herself again wishing that she was better prepared for places like this. It was quiet, save for the sound of their footsteps and occasional chatter, though in the distance she could make out intermittent spurts of rushing sound. _Geysers of corrosive acid, _she thought, recalling the intel she'd read about Florrum. _Lovely. Perhaps I'll take my next bit of leave here._

After several hours they reached their destination, pausing behind a rocky outcropping to observe the scene. Ahead of them was a shallower section of the otherwise steep canyon, unremarkable save for a series of blast doors that were situated along the bottom, giving the impression that someone was attempting to hide _something _behind them. Kali crouched behind a boulder and closed her eyes, casting her awareness out as far as she could, searching for any sign of life in the canyon. Beside her, she knew that Stone was doing much the same with his HUD and she could sense the others behind her, their tension palpable. After a moment her eyes opened and she frowned.

"What is it?" Stone's voice was quiet.

Kali shook her head. "I'm not sure...there's something there, but I can't get a hold of it." She rubbed at her forehead, her hand coming back coated with brown dust. "Maybe if I get closer..."

His apprehension slipped around her like currents eddying at her feet. "I can go with you while the others cover us."

"No," she replied. "Let me go alone. I can shield myself easier than both of us. You guys stay out of sight for now." She looked at him, but only saw her own image reflected in his visor.

He nodded, though she could feel his ambivalence. "Yes, General." The captain glanced back at the others and relayed the information through the comm channel while Kali focused on her shield; several minutes later she felt the familiar pocket of Force energy bloom around her, though she knew that she was obscured from view when she heard Crest's low whistle of amazement.

"Wish _I_ could do that."

Stone's voice held no trace of amusement. "General, is your earpiece on?"

Kalinda flicked at the small device tucked behind her ear. "It is now."

"Keep communication lines open, if you please," he said. "We'll be here." She could hear the agitation in his voice, so she sent him a comforting thought as she replied.

"I'll be fine, Stone." _I promise._

_

* * *

_

It was not the fact that she could call up a wall of Force energy around herself that assured Stonewall – despite his own misgivings – that she was more than able to handle the situation; rather it was the gentle brush of her mind to his, unnerving though it was, which provided a small amount of comfort. Despite the shield, he knew how to discern the faint rippling in the air that signified her presence and he could not help but follow her movements. But even knowing all this the clone captain still found it difficult to watch her walk out into the desert alone.

"She's crazy," Crest's voice murmured in his ear. "Or brilliant."

"I think the two go hand in hand," Weave replied.

Milo glanced around. "Captain...I don't like this. Something's wrong."

This got Stonewall's attention. "What do you mean?" His eyes flicked around the area before settling back on where he estimated Kalinda to be. "I don't see anything."

"I know..." Milo replied, shifting his feet. "Just...something doesn't _feel _right."

Just as Stonewall was about to call to her through the comm he heard a familiar buzzing sound, followed closely by Traxis' curse. "Look: swoops." His brother pointed to the right; sure enough there were five of the slender, elongated vehicles approaching over the sandy hills.

"General Halcyon," Stonewall said over the comm. "Five swoops coming in to your right. Do you see them?"

There was a crackling static as a gust of wind picked up and his teeth gritted, though she answered in the next moment. "I do. Hold your positions."

"But General..."

"That was an order, Milo," she said. "Stay where you are. _All_ of you."

The swoops grew closer, kicking up dust and dirt in their wake; try as he might, Stonewall could no longer see where she was and he felt apprehension flare within him. "Ka...General? Where are you?"

She did not respond and he felt his chest tighten just as Traxis made a noise of annoyance. "Kriffing pirates."

"I suppose it was bound to happen," Crest replied with a sigh. "I just hope she knows what she's doing."

* * *

The moment that she heard the swoops, Kalinda knew that their original plan was not going to work. _I didn't want to engage the pirates, _she thought as she made her way towards a nearby boulder. _But it may very well come to that if we can't investigate this place without them coming along. _At first she hoped the party was just passing through, but they began to slow as they reached the area and she knew that they must be looking for the intruders. Though the comm was mostly static at this point, she could hear doubt in the others' voices as she crouched behind the boulder and tried to formulate a backup plan.

_They need time, _she realized as the swoops halted and a group of Weequay pirates disembarked, their blasters raised as they began to survey the area, unease rippling off of them. _The guys can figure this out without me, but they need the pirates off of their backs. Provided I can keep them occupied, provided they _don't _realize that I'm a Jedi, I think I can do this. _She sighed and activated her comlink. "Stone?"

The relief in his voice was evident. "General Halcyon."

"I have a plan," she said. "But you're not going to like it." She unclipped her lightsaber from her belt and tucked it beneath the rock, before making sure that the blaster at her hip was in plain view.

There was a fraction of hesitation before he replied. "What is it?"

Her outer tunic was shed next, the only other trapping that she thought would give her identity away. "You guys need to check out that facility, but you need time, especially if the pirates are interested in this area too." She heard him take a breath to protest, but continued on regardless. "I can stall them; I can keep their focus off of you while you do your work. Once we're gone, I want you to investigate that facility and find out whatever you can about the stealth-droids."

"General..." She could hear the conflict in his voice. "There must be another way."

"There's only five of them," Traxis spoke up. "We could take them out."

Kalinda bit her tongue. "No. I want to avoid bloodshed at all costs. Our fight isn't with them, Trax, and it might make things even more complicated if you kill any of them." She tried to keep her voice steady. "Stone: contact me when you've completed your task and I'll find a way to join you."

His agitation was a rolling wave. "I..."

"That's an _order_, Captain," she said. "Do you understand?" Though she figured she was filthy already, Kali began to smear more dirt and dust on her skin and hair, making herself look as disheveled and humble as possible.

Abruptly, his tone changed, became businesslike once more, though she sensed an undercurrent of frustration and sorrow. "Yes, General."

"When I've gone, come get my lightsaber and keep it safe for me until we meet again."

"Your lightsaber?" He sounded incredulous. "You're not taking it?"

She gave a grim smile as she dropped her shield and edged to the side of the boulder. "Not at the moment, Stone. If they realize I'm a Jedi, they might not be so willing to talk to me before they try to figure out who will pay a bigger ransom; besides, they'll just take whatever weapons I have anyway."

Another ripple of apprehension. "Copy that, General."

"Don't worry about me, Stone," she said. "I'll be fine."

He made no reply, so she stepped out around the rock, her hands raised. Immediately, the pirates trained their blasters on her and she did her best to look nonthreatening, even exaggerating the faint limp in her left leg, residual from a childhood injury. The one nearest her raised his jagged eyebrow and approached her, his steps cautious until he stopped about two meters in front of her. "Who are you? What are you doing here?" He emanated distrust but she could feel another, sharper emotion behind that, from him and the others as well_. _It was not centered on her, but rather something else, something distant.

_Fear._

"Come on, let me shoot them, General," Traxis said, his voice in her ear almost petulant. "At least just the one with the biggest blaster."

_I wonder what's going on? _Kalinda thought, ignoring the scarred clone. _By all accounts this is a pretty __raucous group of miscreants. Obi-Wan and Anakin's report didn't mention anything about an undercurrent of fear. _She looked at the pirate who had approached her and pitched her voice an octave or two above her normal register, hoping to appear nonthreatening. "Please," she said. "I mean you no harm; I'm just a troubadour..."

"What's she doing?" Milo sounded perplexed and she tried not to smile as Stonewall shushed him.

The nearest pirate narrowed his eyes as he circled her, his blaster raised and aimed at her chest. "We detected a ship," he said at last, his accent thick. "It was yours?"

Kali was aware that she walked a tightrope, suspended over a roiling sea in her dealings with the pirates. One misstep, one misjudgment would mean the difference between success and failure, or even life and death. There was no room for error, but nor was there room for hesitation. "I was left here by those I traveled with..." She considered trying to cry, but decided it would be too much. "Please...I'd just like some shelter and something to drink, if you can spare it."

"Why shouldn't I just shoot you where you stand?" The Weequay paused before her, the others dismounting and circling around as well. "Why should I believe any of what you say?"

There was no sound from the clones, but she could feel their agitation, especially from Stonewall. Kalinda ducked her head in what she hoped was a gesture of deference. "Please," she said again. "I just want something to drink." She extended a slight touch of the Force, just enough to allay some of the pirates' concerns. _You don't have to like me, _she thought as she watched the muscles of his wrinkled, scaly face relax a little bit. _You just have to take me with you._

After what felt like hours the Weequay sighed; he motioned to one of the pirates behind her who stepped forward and removed the blaster from its holster before slipping her wrists in a pair of thick cuffs. At this, she heard Stonewall's voice in her earpiece, a soft curse at the sight of the restraints.

"Is this necessary?" she asked as they lead her to the nearest swoop. "The cuffs?"

The first pirate shrugged as she was placed at the pommel of the swoop; he slid in behind her and gunned the engine. "Just a precaution, love. No need to concern yourself with the details."

Without another word the pirates accelerated the vehicles and the group slid away across the dunes. Kalinda cast her mind back toward her soldiers and grimaced at the onslaught of emotions: concern, confusion, agitation...but all of them paled to the outright, hammering _fear _that radiated from the clone captain. _Don't worry, Stone, _she thought as she tightened her grip. _I'll be fine. I've gotten into worst scrapes than this. _


	5. Hidden Meanings

**Chapter Five: Hidden Meanings**

"Does anyone know what a 'troubadour' is?" Crest asked as they watched the swoops glide away.

"If I'm not mistaken," Weave said. "It's a word for a traveling musician. Kind of an archaic term, but indicative of – "

"This is ridiculous," Traxis interrupted, rising from his crouch behind the boulder. "Why wouldn't she just let us kill them?"

For once, Stonewall was in complete agreement with the scarred clone, though he kept the thought to himself; as the ranking officer and had a responsibility to keep the group unified. "She has her reasons," he said, though the sight of Kali being led away in cuffs by the pirates was enough to make him want to race after them with his guns blazing. "We should be able to stay in communications range, provided they don't go too far." At that thought, he tried to call her, but was met with static. _Of course._

Weave sighed. "Sometimes I hate being right."

"So, what's the plan?" Milo asked.

Stonewall took a deep breath and stood up slowly, feeling the blood rush back to his legs. "First things first: we get her lightsaber, then we take a look at this facility and see if we can't figure out more about those stealth-droids."

"After that?" Crest asked.

Lifting his Deece, Stonewall checked the power-cell before stepping over the the spot where the Jedi had left her lightsaber, shoved beneath several of the smaller rocks and covered with a fine layer of brown dust. He clipped it to his belt – beneath his kama – and scanned the canyon once more as the others followed him. "One step at a time," he said at last, working to keep his voice calm. "We make for that facility; see if there's any way to get inside those doors."

The sides of the formation were steep, but jagged enough so that they provided ample footholds, and the afternoon sun limned the edges of the rust-colored rock and stone with gold. There was no vegetation in sight. The wind, which should have ripped through the canyon with force, was instead playfully tugging at the edges of the clones' armor as they made their descent. No one spoke for several minutes until they reached a section of rock that was flat enough for them to stand upon while Weave scanned the area with his electrobinoculars. "There are security cameras facing the blast doors," he said, indicating their goal, situated at the bottom of the canyon. "But I don't see any around the rest of the area," he added. "It's very odd."

"It's so isolated," Milo replied. "Maybe the Seps don't think anyone would bother coming out here. And the pirates are around, too."

Traxis snorted. "Are you suggesting that those spice-guzzlers are _guarding _the place?"

Weave shook his head, his tone thoughtful. "Actually, that's not a bad thought, Milo. The pirates have a pretty secure network on this planet...the only reason that our shuttle made it through was because it looks so derelict – not at all like a Republic vessel – and they still came to check it out." He glanced at Stonewall, who had remained silent. "I think I see a way in over there, in the northern quadrant."

Stone magnified his HUD and looked in the direction that the clone was pointing. "That exhaust vent? Looks a bit tight. I'd rather try the doors first."

"See those panels?" Weave said, nodding to the doors. "Top-grade security measures. I don't think that the General noticed them...there's no way to access them without either a code or a bit of hatch persuasion."

Crest chuckled. "That'd be fine with me."

"Yeah, until we're surrounded by every droid in the place," Weave replied, shaking his head. "Talk about complications."

Stonewall took a deep breath. "Are you saying we can't get in that way?"

Weave paused. "I'm saying it might be worth it to try the vent first before we go knocking on the front door."

"Another tight spot, then?" Crest said. "Business as usual for '_Ala _Squad,' eh?"

"Who's the clever one?" Traxis replied. "You?"

"It sure as crink isn't you."

"Are we going or what?" Milo asked.

Weave looked at Stonewall. "Captain?"

Stone nodded. "Let's go. Exhaust vent it is." The group began to make their way further into the canyon, using their cables to slip down the rocky face once it grew too steep to climb. Finally they reached the bottom, a snaking line of cracked dirt that had been a river long ago. Here and there were a few brownish plants: spare, shriveled and snagged by the wind. Once the squad reached the riverbed they moved along the shadow of the canyon wall to cross over to the other side, then it was back up the rust-colored rocks to reach the exhaust port.

As they journeyed, Stonewall tried to contact Kalinda again but was met only with silence. _Not even static any more, _he thought as he watched the others to make sure that no one's cable got caught or twisted. _Nothing. _He glanced up at their destination and frowned. _I hope this doesn't take too long._

_

* * *

_

The trip back to the pirate base took almost an hour and the entire time Kalinda wondered if she'd made a mistake by leaving with the pirates rather than staying with her squad. _No, _she finally thought as the swoops pulled up at a large, round complex_. I need to make sure that the pirates don't go looking for the guys before they have a chance to find what we're looking for. _The pirate base was constructed of a deep, copper-colored durasteel that had been covered by the ubiquitous dust; it looked to be heavily fortified, with Weequay guards and blinking sensors at the top of the perimeter wall.

The Weequay whom she'd ridden with – she'd learned that his name was Tito – watched as she dismounted somewhat clumsily before leading her through the landing area to the base itself. All around were pirates in various states of sobriety, repairing ships, tending to weapons, and muttering amongst themselves; they all silenced when their eyes fell on her, which was rather unsettling. However, as Kali was lead through their ranks she could sense something else from them, an awareness that their minds were not really on the tasks at hand, but rather somewhere else.

_Just like the others...they're worried about something, _she realized. _But what?_

One of the pirates who'd been part of the group had run inside upon their arrival, emerging moments later with another Weequay whom Kali recognized from Obi-Wan's report as Hondo Ohnaka. "Well hello there," he said in a deep voice, his lilting accent holding an edge. "My men tell me that you were nosing around our home...why, I wonder?" He was of average height for most Weequay – about as tall as a Human male – with leathery gray skin and two large braids that trailed down his back. His maroon coat hung to his knees above polished black boots, and a set of green-tinted goggles rested over his eyes, partially obscuring them from view. He circled her as he spoke. "They tell me that you are a 'troubadour,' yet I see no evidence of any instruments." Again, she sensed mistrust with an undercurrent of fear, though his posture and mannerisms suggested only confidence.

Kalinda nodded. "That's correct," she said. "But in my experience, a true musician makes use of whatever she can come across. Besides, I'm not much for possessions." True, all of it, but only some of the truth. Hopefully enough to pique his interest.

Ohnaka paused before her, studying her face. "It's not often that we get pretty Human women alone out here," he said as he continued to regard her with curiosity. "Why are you so willing to saunter into our little home?" His voice had grown quiet, introspective.

"Like I told your men, I'd really like a drink of water...maybe a chance to wipe this dust off." She cleared her throat and nodded to the pirate base. "Perhaps we could continue this discussion inside?"

"Of course," he replied after a moment, his tone obsequious. "Where are my manners? A lady such as yourself does not need to be kept waiting. Tito, bring our _guest _inside." With that he turned on his heels and walked inside the structure; moments later Kalinda was led towards the shadow of the massive structure by the Weequay, the nearest triangular-shaped door opening to receive them.

Before her eyes adjusted to the change in light the first thing she was aware of was the cool temperature of the interior, a pleasant change from the heat outside. It appeared that she had been brought to the main room of the complex, which looked to be nothing more than a massive pub: tables and chairs were sprawled at random intervals throughout the room, with several bars and drink stations along the walls. Discordant, wailing music sounded from an unseen source and the smell of spice and alcohol was almost strong enough to make her gag. Tito brought her to one of the larger tables, at which Hondo had taken a seat and set her down opposite him. Moments later a cup of clear liquid was set before her; a discreet sniff told her that it was water.

"It's a little hard to drink with these," she said to the pirate leader, holding up her bound wrists. "Would you mind...?"

Hondo leaned forward, his eyes on her face. "I would, actually," he replied. "I think you can manage. You strike me as a capable woman." He took a deep swig from his own mug as he watched her.

She almost argued, then reconsidered, instead gripping the cup with both hands and taking a sip of the water; it was bitter and slightly metallic but it was a welcome break from the pervasive taste of dirt and dust. "Thank you," she said after a moment.

He nodded, still looking at her. "Who are you?" he asked. "What are you doing on Florrum?"

"I'm no one of consequence," she replied. "But you can call me Kali." She took another sip of water. Behind him she could see several pirates playing a game of sabacc, though none of them seemed overly attentive to the game; their eyes drifted towards the doors of the room, as if any moment something would burst into the room.

"Kali," he repeated, nodding. "And you are here because...?"

"I'm not here to cause you or your crew any harm," she said, meeting his gaze. "Of that I can assure you." At these words she felt a flicker of apprehension from him, though it was overlaid with curiosity, so she pressed on. "I'm afraid I can't repay you for your assistance, as I'm without cash at the moment," she said. "But I can provide some entertainment." At these words he leered and she winced at the implication, feeling her cheeks flush. "Of a musical nature, of course," she added, straightening in her seat.

He gestured to the corner, where she noticed a jukebox that looked to be as old as Master Yoda. "We are in no need of such a thing, as you can see," he said. "It may not look like much, Kali, but it is effective, I assure you." As he said this, the song that had been playing ended, leaving the room in an awkward quiet for several moments until a nearby pirate slammed her fist on the top of the device until another, similar song began.

At this she chuckled. "Nothing can compare to a real, live musician. Of that _I _can assure you." She met his gaze again, willing him to relax his guard. _I just need you to be occupied for a little while. _Though she generally refrained from outright influencing another's mind, Kali knew that there were subtle touches of the Force that she could apply to bring about a desired result.

Ohnaka seemed to debate for several long minutes, taking a swig of his drink and continuing to study her. "You're not lying outright," he said after a moment. "But you're not being entirely honest with me." He set his mug down with a thud against the table. "It's bad luck to be dishonest with pirates, you know, even a little bit. Those who do so have a tendency to end up...shall we say...dead?"

In that moment, Stonewall's voice sounded in her ear as clearly as if he was beside her. _"General? Are you in trouble? What is your location?"_

_Not now, _she thought, trying to remain impassive and tilting her head so that her hair fell a little further over her ear. _Please, Stone. _"In any case, I would like to repay you for the drink. Do you have any instruments on hand?" He frowned, but she pressed on. "You won't regret it, I promise."

Hondo leaned back and regarded her for another moment before nodding slowly. "Very well." He barked an order to one of his men, who scurried off, returning moments later with a battered and scuffed gitar. "Entertain us," he said as Kali took the instrument. "And perhaps I'll consider letting you live." Another Weequay approached her and removed the cuffs; she felt a cool sensation against her wrists where the cuffs had pressed against her skin, though the relief was sullied by the blaster that he aimed at her as he took a seat beside Hondo.

"_General? I don't like what I'm picking up...I repeat: are you in trouble? " _The captain sounded worried, which she didn't blame him for, but there was nothing she could do about it at the moment.

_Of course, now the blasted comlink works, _she thought as she bit back a reply to Stonewall, instead leaning over the instrument and plucking at it experimentally. It was sorely out of tune, but otherwise in decent shape. She looked up at Hondo and gave him her nicest smile. "Thank you. Just give me a minute to tune?"

His hands spread; his tone was polite and cordial, despite the blaster that his crew-member held fixed at her heart. "Of course. Kali."

* * *

"No answer?"

Stonewall shook his head, trying to swallow his frustration and fear as he and Crest watched Weave's legs kicking while he made another attempt to fit inside the exhaust vent. The opening was even tinier in person; there was barely room enough for the clones to fit inside – let alone move around – as they discovered within a few minutes of reaching the area.

Crest's voice was uncommonly serious. "You're worried about her."

"I – " Stonewall frowned. "I'm a bit concerned."

"Come on, Cap," his brother said, his helmet tilting upwards as if he was rolling his eyes. "It's obvious. It's _so_ incredibly obvious." He chuckled as Stone looked at him. "We're not blind, you know. 'Burden of command,' my ass. You've been mooning after her since Japarran."

The captain shook his head. "I'm not _mooning _over anyone, Crest. Keep your mind –"

"On the mission, yeah," Crest replied with a sigh. "I am. We _all_ are. But you and her," he paused and switched the comm channel to a private one between the two clones. "What's going on, exactly?"

Stonewall made no reply for a minute as he watched Weave's feet disappear in the vent. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Crest snorted. "Right, right. And I'm Chancellor Palpatine." They were quiet for a moment before he glanced at the captain again. "We don't care, you know," he said. "What the two of you do is your own business, as long as you keep it down. Nobody wants to hear – "

"Crest – "

The other clone held up his hands, thumbs pointed towards himself. "Messenger, okay? For kriff's sake, you're touchy."

Stonewall was nonplussed. "You've all talked about this? Behind my back?"

"Don't sound so shocked," Crest replied. "It's not like we didn't have time, what with the two of you sneaking off in her room every chance you get. 'Writing reports'..." He snorted and shook his head again. "_Please_."

"I..." Stone frowned. "It's not...we're not..."

"To reiterate: I don't need – or want – any gory details," Crest said as he raised his palms. "I have a pretty good imagination, after all." He paused and then put a hand on his brother's arm. "None of us blame you. She's...well...I won't go into it, but you know..."

At this, Stonewall removed his helmet and stared at his brother, who took his own bucket off as well. "I don't believe this." He looked at the others; Traxis and Milo were both standing by the vent while Weave's feet were now wriggling outside in his attempts to slide out. He opened his mouth to call to them, but was interrupted by Traxis.

"This is ridiculous," the scared said as he approached Stone, removing his helmet. "You can't even move your legs in that little hole."

Weave grunted and slid back out, landing on the brown dust with a quiet thud. "You're right, Trax. This won't work." He sighed and glanced at Stonewall. "We'll need another way in."

Crest chuckled and rubbed his hands together. "At last...a chance to use my det tape."

Milo glanced down at the massive doors. "If we do that, we risk letting every droid on the planet know we're here."

"I can't see that we have many other options," Weave replied. "But I can tell you that going in through this little vent isn't going to work." He paused and gave the captain a sideways glance. "The General could fit."

Milo raised his head. "She could! She's smaller than any of us." He paused and glanced at Stonewall. "But she gave us orders to infiltrate this factory first..." There was silence for a moment while they looked at one another.

"I didn't detect another way in," Weave said after a beat. "But we can try the front doors, if you want."

Traxis frowned. "You said that wasn't a good option, Weave. I mean, _I _don't mind waking the clankers up, but none of you seemed fond of the idea a little while ago."

"Well, what else are we supposed to do?" Milo shot back. "Go against a direct order?"

Crest cleared his throat. "Captain? What do you think?"

At these words, Stonewall's gaze moved back to the blast doors and he took a deep breath before looking back at the others and sliding his helmet back on. "We have to exhaust every option before we leave," he said at last, watching as they followed suit. "If there's any way to do this without disobeying her, then I know we'll find it." With that, Milo replaced the vent cover and the clones began to make their way down the side of the canyon to the doors, which were located several hundred meters away from the vent. Aside from the crunch of their booted steps against the rock and sand and the occasional sigh of the wind, there was no sound.

Once they were about a hundred meters from the doors, Weave held up his hand and pointed above them at several blinking sensors embedded in the rock face. "There's the first hurdle," he whispered, despite the fact that they were speaking over the secure comlinks. "I saw at least three facing the doors."

"Internal power source?" Stonewall asked as he studied the devices.

"Most likely."

"I'm guessing that blowing them up at this juncture is not an option?" Crest asked.

"Well, we need to do something," Traxis said.

Stone glanced around the canyon and considered the problem for a few minutes before he smiled to himself. "We can't destroy them," he said slowly, bending down to pick up some of the pervasive dust. "But maybe we can obscure them somehow..." The rust-colored dirt slipped from his hand as the wind carried it away.

Weave nodded. "Provided we didn't actually destroy anything, it could work..." his voice began to grow more excited as he spoke. "If we can keep the cameras blocked enough to prevent them from seeing that we're trying to get in, it should be okay. I mean, look at this place: I'll bet the cameras constantly need maintenance from all the dirt."

"But how?" Milo asked. "Are we supposed to just chunk rocks and sand at the cameras while Weave tries to hack in?"

"I think I can help with that," Traxis said, holding up one of his blasters. "See the grappling attachment? We can remove the cable, and replace it with something else that can be fired at a particular target." A quick motion of his wrist; the hook and cable both cluttered to the dust, leaving an empty chamber.

"Good thinking, Trax," Stonewall replied. "But I'm not sure the dirt will be solid enough to do what we need it to...it seems like it would dissipate once it was fired."

At this, Crest interjected. "Ah, unless you pack it with something _sticky. _Something that will help it cling together..." he pulled out one of his grenades and began to dismantle it as he talked. "The silicon in these suckers should do the trick, I think." Stonewall watched as his men packed Traxis' blaster with the mixture of dirt and silicon; it took a few tests to get the ratio correct, but soon they had a substance that provided a sizable spray of dirt.

"Milo," Stonewall said. "You're our best shot. Can you hit all of those sensors from here?"

The younger clone surveyed the cameras for a few moments, removed his glove to test the wind and then nodded. "Shouldn't be an issue, Captain. Wind's a bit of a nuisance, but I can work around that."

"Great. Weave, I want you to see if there's any way at all to get into that base. If not, we'll have to switch to Plan B and go on a rescue mission. Traxis and I will cover you while Crest remains with Milo and covers _us _once Milo's done his thing. Got it?"

Crest lifted his blaster. "Alright...let's get dirty!" They loaded several of their blasters with the mixture so that they could be fired end-on-end and waited a few moments for Milo to send the spray of dirt on the cameras; once the coast was clear, Stone, Weave, and Traxis made their way to the blast doors. After several moments of quiet beeping Stone glanced at Weave.

"Any luck?"

His brother shook his head. "The encryption on this thing is incredible...I've never seen anything like it. It's only able to be activated remotely," he added, looking up at the doors. "Strange, isn't it?"

"Can you get in or not?" Traxis asked.

There were another few moments of silence while Weave made yet another attempt. Finally his shoulders slumped and he gave a deep sigh. "Negative. I can't break in, Captain. I think that the Jedi could, though. At least, she'd have a better chance than I do." There was a pause while the words sunk in before Stonewall nodded.

"Plan B it is." They returned to the others and moved to a more secure location where they could ascend the canyon wall without being detected. However, before they began to climb, Stonewall removed his helmet and studied the identical faces of his brothers. "You _all_ know, don't you?" There was silence for several moments in the wake of his words. The clone captain shook his head and sighed. "You all know..."

"Know what?" Milo's face was innocent and the others purposefully looked away from him. "What?"

"That the captain and the general are...involved," Traxis replied, casting his eyes skyward. "And yes. We do. It's kind of hard to miss." The last words were said in a mutter. "They way you stare at each other..."

"Don't forget the gitar," Crest added, looking back at Stone. "Come on; you know you got the nicest instrument. I mean, I like the harmonica and all..."

"What?" Milo stared at Stonewall, his mouth open in shock. "You and the general...?" He glared at Crest. "You didn't tell me! Why didn't you tell me?"

The bald clone shrugged. "Need to know basis, only, Milo." He looked back at Stonewall, who was shaking his head. "So, what now?"

_I don't believe this, _Stone thought, rubbing at his forehead. _They knew? All that sneaking around...all that worrying..._He cleared his throat and replaced his bucket. "Well then; let's get this underway, shall we?"

"Finally," Traxis replied, raising his blasters. "_Ib'tuur jatne tuur ash'ad kyr'amur."_

Stonewall shook his head. "No killing, if we can help it, Trax. General Halcyon's orders still stand." He motioned to the others. "Let's go. We can follow the trail of displaced dirt from the swoops, as they're not exactly stealthy." His hand sought her saber at his hip. "I think she'll be wanting this back, at any rate."


	6. Communication Breakdown

**Chapter Six: Communication Breakdown***

Despite everything, Kalinda enjoyed performing again. It had been a while since she had a chance to do so in front of a crowd and she had forgotten how much fun it was, even if the audience was intoxicated, hostile and most likely eager to see her demise. Once tuned, the gitar turned out to be more than decent – it was an older type, crafted by the hand of a living being and not a machine – and she rather liked the fullness of its sound. She had taken a position at the rear of the room and was currently engrossed in one of the songs that she had written when she was in her mid-twenties; a lighthearted tune with plenty of flourishes and an intricate rhythm that would – she hoped – keep the pirates' attention.

She hadn't heard Stone's voice over her comlink any more since earlier, but she hadn't had a chance to determine if the comm was dead or he was, a thought that filled her with a flash of dread that she found difficult to shake off. _I don't think so, _she thought as the song ended and she took another sip of water. _I would know it...I hope. _She cleared her throat and surveyed the crowd; other than the musty smell and the drab décor, it reminded her of the days she'd spent performing in a bar in CoCo town, back when she was in her teens.

"Any requests?" Someone shouted an lewd suggestion and she bit back a laugh. "That's not part of the show, I'm afraid."

Hondo was seated before her, his eyes had been fixed on her the entire time, though at this he turned and glared at the offending pirate. "Is that how you address our guests?" The pirate gulped and shook his head, his braids flopping with the motion; Hondo continued to glare at him. "That's what I thought." Turning back to Kali, he motioned to her. "Perhaps you would like a break?"

It was not a suggestion. She nodded and he patted the seat beside him while someone flipped on the jukebox again; after setting the gitar on its rusty stand, Kali took the seat next to the pirate who said nothing to her for a few moments while he nursed his drink. Finally he glanced over at her. "I still can't figure it out," he said, almost to himself. "Who, or what, you are."

She took a sip of her water but made no reply. Around them the pirates began to drift once more, the sound of their conversations hushed and sullen.

He pursed his lips. "I should throw you in a cell, you know. Just for showing up unannounced."

"I'm glad you haven't," she replied. "I'm not too fond of prison cells."

At this he raised a brow. "Ah. So you've spent some time behind bars?"

"A little," she said. "Not as much as I could have."

He chuckled and raised his hand; immediately a mug of ale was set before her. "Drink up, my dear."

Kalinda sniffed at the drink before looking at Hondo. "I'd rather not, if you don't mind. Alcohol and I don't mix very well, and spice and I even less so." She smiled at his expression. "Just something I've learned over the years."

"Sounds like there's a story behind that," he replied. "But you would refuse my hospitality? A dangerous gesture." He nudged the mug towards her. "Drink." It was bitter and sweet all at once; the bitter was the ale and the sweet was the spice, which also added a faint, flickering glow to the beverage that was pretty, if somewhat alarming. She grimaced at the taste, though she only sipped at it. It was his turn to chuckle at her. "You don't like it?" He put a hand over his chest in an exaggerated motion. "I'm deeply offended, my dear."

"I'm sure it's very good, as far as these things go," she replied. "I just prefer something lighter...you don't have Corellian white wine, do you?" She raised the cup to her lips again, but did not drink.

At this he made a condescending sound. "That swill? Absolutely not." One of his men approached him and whispered something in his ear; Kalinda tried to listen, but the words of their language were foreign to her. She thought of Stonewall and the others and hoped that they hadn't been discovered. Ohnaka made a reply and she sensed more than a flicker of apprehension from him as his man walked away.

"Everything okay?"

He did not reply, only stared at his mug for a moment before downing the contents. "And what is your opinion, Kali the musician, about the war that is raging out there in the stars?" He made a sweeping gesture with his hand at the ceiling, the movement loose. A few droplets of the spiced-ale fell to the table, leaving faint, luminescent marks against the dark surface.

Kalinda considered for a moment before replying. "I wish it weren't happening," she said at last. "At the very least it's a shameful waste of life and resources." Her gaze fell on the pirates who were playing sabacc; none of them seemed to even look at the cards in their hands, or show the slightest bit of attention to the few credits that had been laid in the center of the table. Eye flicked furtively at the door; someone at the table coughed and another of the pirate's hands twitched for the blaster at her hips.

The pirate leader shrugged and lifted the cup for a refill. "It's good for business," he replied. "Or it was." Another pirate replaced his empty mug with a full one and he took a long drink before looking back at her, lifting his goggles to reveal small eyes that did not appear to miss much. "You know someone who's lost something, then?"

"Yes," she answered, holding his gaze. "I do." Unbidden, her mind returned to Stonewall and his brothers. _How many of them have died for this fight? A fight that's not even their own? _She shook her head, wondering if the spice in the ale was muddling her thoughts. "And you?"

"Perhaps. Things are not as they once were." He took another drink and eyed the liquid within. "War." He snorted in disgust. "It's a distasteful affair, isn't it? Makes honest folk do things they would never consider."

Kalinda nodded. "I agree." She glanced at Hondo as a Kowakian monkey-lizard appeared from beneath the table and clambered up beside the pirate to lie beside him, his feathered head drooping as he did so. "War is usually very profitable for those who, shall we say, exist outside the law," she said at last, keeping her voice casual. "But I don't get the sense that's the case, here."

At this Hondo looked at her. "You're an astute one, aren't you?" He ran his hand along the back of the monkey-lizard.

"It doesn't take much observation to see that your crew is depressed," she said with a shrug. At this he looked irritated and she sighed. "I'm only making conversation. I can go back to the gitar, if you want," she added, raising her brow at him.

He chuckled and glanced down at the creature next to him. "I don't know who you are, Kali, and you're not going anywhere until I do. But no," he added, looking back at her. "Stay here. Talking to you is...pleasant."

"So I've heard," she replied with a sigh. "So?"

"So..."

"What's going on with the others?" she waved at the pirates. "Why are they so quiet? I've heard tales of revelry and commotion in Hondo Ohnaka's halls, but all I see is a bunch of depressed pirates. Did you run out of spice?" She tried to keep her tone light, though she could tell that her words affected him.

Hondo lifted his mug and examined it as he replied. "You may think that all we care about is money," he said. "Which is mostly true. Mostly." He glanced at her. "But there is one thing that I – that all those in my line of work, I think – value above everything else. Do you know what that is, Kali?"

Something flared within her, some warning bell sounded in the back of her mind, but she held his gaze. "What?"

"Freedom," he said, and downed the contents of the mug before setting it to the table with a clatter.

She paused, considering his words. "You have ships," she replied at last. "You have money and other...resources. That's more than many others in the galaxy can say."

"True," he said. "But we no longer have that thing that is so essential to a pirate's life." His gaze had grown distant. In the background she could hear the clatter of plates and mugs as some tray was dropped, though no one moved to pick anything up for several moments. The song on the jukebox changed to a song that had been popular well before the war.

"Freedom."

He nodded.

_This is unexpected. _Kalinda cleared her throat and opened her mouth to reply when she heard Stonewall's voice in her earpiece.

"_Kalinda," _he said. _"There's been a change of plans. We need your help to access the facility. Where are you?" _His words were tinted with frustration, as if he'd been calling her for some time.

_When we get back, _she thought, _I'm putting in an official request to get a different comlink system. This is getting ridiculous. _She held back a sigh and glanced at Hondo. "I'm afraid that ale went right through me," she said. "Is there a 'fresher nearby?"

"There's a chamber pot in the corner," he replied, chuckling at the look that came to her face. "Ah, Kali...Yes, it was a poor joke, but worth your reaction," he added before he turned and shouted to one of his men that she recognized. "Tito will show you. No tricks, now. I wasn't kidding about that cell."

Stone's voice sounded again. _"Kali? Are you there?"_

Kalinda frowned. "I'd rather not have company, if you don't mind." _Something's really wrong if he's __not even calling me 'General.'_

Hondo spread his hands. "He will escort you, only. And..." he smiled as his man placed the cuffs back on her wrists. "Now, Kali, don't frown at me. What kind of fool would I be if I let you wander around freely, hmmm? Be quick, if you please; when you return I think there are some songs I'd like to hear."

* * *

By the time that she answered, Stonewall was ready to take on every pirate within a parsec just to hear her voice. _"What are you doing?"_ she whispered over the comm, her voice distorted by static. _"You were supposed to infiltrate the-"_

"We can't," he replied, signaling to the others to pause. They were still tracking the path of the swoops, though they had reached a plateau that allowed them to see an energy grid, the flickering, purple bolts leading them towards the pirates' base. "We can't access it at all; we need you." _I need to see you, _he thought. _I need to know that you're okay. _

She sighed. _"I'm not exactly in a good place, Stone."_

"Meaning?"

"_I'm keeping the pirates distracted,_" she replied. "_But I don't know how much longer..."_ she trailed off and his chest tightened. _"Sorry,"_ she said after a moment, her voice hushed even more so. _"What was I saying?"_

He frowned. "Are you okay? Have they treated you badly?"

"_I'm fine,"_ she replied, thought there was silence again until she spoke, though he could tell it was to someone nearby. _I'm coming," _she called out. _"Just give me one second." _Stonewall cleared his throat. _"There's something odd about all this,"_ she said at last, her tone musing._ "Something about the pirates...I can't put my finger on it yet. Stone?" _He could hear the frown in her voice. "_You need to go __back and figure out a way in. I can't help you right now."_

He cast a glance back at the others, who were watching him; he'd switched his comm to communicate with hers alone, so they couldn't hear the exchange, but he knew they could tell something was going on. "Kali," he said at last. "I want to do as you say, but –"

Suddenly she spoke again, the pitch of her voice higher and with a slight waver. _"I'm fine, I promise,_" she said, her voice distant as she addressed someone else. _"There's no need to..."_

Stonewall's stomach dropped to his knees when he heard a lilting male voice over the comm, as if someone had come to stand beside her. _"My dear. You know how much I hate liars and spies. Did you learn nothing from our talk?"_

"_I-"_ Before he heard the rest of her words, the comm went dead. After a few tries he looked at Weave and described the situation, trying to ignore the persistent thudding of his heart.

"Can you fix it?"

Weave shook his head. "If the problem was on our end, maybe, but..."

"Okay," Traxis said. "Somebody please tell me we're going to go in there. For kriff's sake, I need to shoot a flipping pirate or something." He looked at Stonewall, who was holding very still. "Captain?"

Stonewall closed his eyes and tried to sift past his emotions and reach a place of cold, hard logic. She was in command; she had given them specific orders _not _to rescue her until they had gotten a hold of the droids. She was not injured – that he was aware of – and besides, she was a Jedi, more than able to take care of herself. All the signs pointed to returning to his duty, his brain knew exactly what he should do.

But his heart. His heart was klicks away, being held by a gang of filthy pirates doing who-knows-what to her...Their conversation back on the ship came back to him: _Our lines of work are not __without...complications. But I believe that it is possible to do one's duty without letting personal feelings cloud your judgment and still allow yourself to care for someone else. _

The realization struck him like a shot. _The mission is at stake; we can't complete it without her. _He took a deep sigh and faced the others. "Nothing has changed. We're still on a rescue mission. Now, let's keep moving."

* * *

Hondo's grip on her arm was painful, but she cast the thought aside as she had more pressing concerns at the moment. "If you'd just give me a moment to-" Kalinda stumbled as she was hauled towards the isolation cells, a group of three pirates trailing her, blasters raised and aimed at her heart. "I'm not-" They entered one of the cells through a long corridor, a sparse, dark room with slotted windows against the wall. The scuff of boots echoed through the cell as the pirates brought her inside.

Before she had time to react he slammed her against the wall of the cell with enough force to make spots appear before her eyes even as he held her wrists above her head. "Do you take me for a fool?" the pirate hissed, his face close to hers. Anger roiled off of him, thick as ammonia, making her eyes close for a moment against the onslaught. "Do you think I survived this long, doing what I do, by being stupid?" His breath stank of ale.

She took a deep breath, seeking the calm place in her mind before reaching her awareness out to him. There was anger, yes, much anger, but also fear. A tangible fear of something large and as-yet unseen. With this thought, something unfurled in her brain, a realization that filled her with resolve. Kali took another breath and met his eyes. "I can help you," she said, keeping her voice calm and controlled. "Hondo; I can help you."

Behind the green goggles his eyes narrowed and his grip on her wrists was still quite firm as he pressed her bound hands into the permacrete wall above them. "Tell me who you really are."

"What are you afraid of?" she asked, pitching her voice low so that only he could hear. "Tell me, and I'll tell you what you want to know."

His laughter was sharp and stilted. "You're in no position to be bargaining, my dear." Her wrists were starting to throb. "Why should I trust you, when you have done nothing but lie to me?"

Kali shook her head. "I've been as truthful with you as I could," she replied. "I didn't want to get you or your crew involved." At her words his gaze on her turned to pure anger fueled with fear and alcohol, a dangerous combination. She could feel her skin beneath his tightening grip start to burn. "Please let go," she said suddenly. "You're hurting me."

Abruptly his grip loosened and her hands dropped; Hondo stood back from her and regarded her, visibly more calm and collected, though she sensed it was a wavering truce. "You are a Jedi," he said after a moment as he watched her rub at her reddening skin. His voice held the faintest trace of admiration. "I didn't see it at first," he continued. "A blaster where your glowstick should be; the singing and playing and absence of those boring robes..." he gave a small bark of laughter. "But I should have guessed by your eyes...you see too much. Too much for your own good, I think, like the rest of your brethren."

"My name _is_ Kali," she replied, straightening. "You're right; I am a Jedi. And I meant everything I said: I can help you."

"Help me?" His arms crossed. "I think it is you who needs the help. I missed out on quite a nice payoff from my last encounter with your compatriots; I don't intend to loose that opportunity again."

She shook her head. "What is going on here?" A tilt of her chin indicated one of the windows that allowed a slant of yellow light to enter the room. "And does it have anything to do with that Separatist facility west of here, in that canyon?"

At the mention of the facility, his face tightened. "That is not your concern." Behind him, the pirates shifted their feet and cast looks at one another.

"But it is," she replied. "It's why I'm here."

He was quiet for a few minutes while he looked at her. "Who were you talking to?" Her jaw snapped shut but she held his gaze; he sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Jedi are so uncooperative," he said, his tone returning to its usual dark lilt. "And stubborn. Or have you listened to anything I've been telling you? Toying with pirates is not a healthy lifestyle choice, even for a Jedi. I will ask you again: who were you talking to?"

She shook her head. "I'm the only person that you need to concern yourself with at the moment, Hondo."

"Oh, but I see I've touched a nerve," he replied, a smile creeping to his face as he began to pace back and forth before her. "It must be...you can't have come here alone, I suppose? The others...the ones you came with; that's who you are protecting?"

Kali took a deep breath. "I read the accounts of what occurred with the other Jedi and to Count Dooku," she said. "Master Kenobi said that he mentioned the Separatists might come back to seek a little retaliation...is that what happened? And now they're here and the war has been brought to your doorstep?"

They stared at each other for a moment before he glanced at one of his men. "Send out a search party for the Republic forces. There are those who would pay well for all of them, no doubt." The pirate nodded and slipped out of the room. The others still had their blasters pointed at her, though she could sense their hesitation.

_No, _Kali thought, swallowing hard. _I won't allow harm to come to Stone...or the others._ "Can we please talk for just a moment longer?"

The pirate leader regarded her for several long minutes before he shook his head and motioned to his men. "See that she doesn't go anywhere," he said as he stepped out of the room. "I have a call to make."

The pirates edged around her, blasters raised though they remained silent. Kali's heart was pounding in her chest but she forced herself to calm down, to touch the place within her that gave her strength and purpose. _All isn't lost, _she thought, fixing her gaze on the permacrete floor while she relaxed her mind and sought focus within the Force. She concentrated on Stone's face, on his familiar presence, willing him to hear her. _Stonewall..._

There was silence and she felt frustration creep into the edges of her mind. Taking another deep breath, she tried again. _Stone. Are you there?_

She felt his shock through the Force, a tangible ripple. _Kali? What's going on? Are you hurt? What have they done to you? _A smile came to her as she felt his confusion fade into acceptance of the unfamiliar form of communication without question.

Another deep breath. _I'm in one piece. Where are you?_

_About ten klicks away. _There was a pause, a hesitation before he elaborated. C_oming for you._

She made a soft noise of frustration and the remaining pirates shifted and glanced at one another. Kali willed her mind to relax and release the agitation. _You can't, _she thought. _Hondo – the leader of the pirates – knows about me, Stone. He's going to contact the Separatists. You have to get the information we need and get out; he's already sent a group of pirates after you. _

_I'm not worried about pirates, _he replied. _But we can't complete the mission without you. _Uncertainty tinted the edges of his thoughts, though she sensed a stubborn resolve beneath it all. _That's why they sent a Jedi with us, isn't it? Our mission is clear and we need you to fulfill it. _If they had been face to face she would have tried to reassure him that all would be well, but she found that she didn't quite believe it at this point. However, his thoughts were now sharp, focused on dealing with the situation at hand and she found that the feeling gave her strength.

She smiled to herself_. My valiant soldier. What am I going to do with you?_

There was a tint of happiness to his thoughts as he absorbed her words. _I'm coming for you, whether you like it or not, _he replied, his thoughts softening. _Please don't order me not to._

As she was about to reply, she heard a familiar tread in the room and her concentration broke as she looked up to see Hondo Ohnaka approaching once more, a holotransmitter in his hand and several more armed pirates behind him. His smile held no levity as he activated the transmitter; Kalinda felt a flash of dread as the familiar form of Count Dooku appeared before her in the next moment.

"What is it?"

The pirate leader stood beside Kalinda and gave a low, mocking bow before he gestured to the captive Jedi. "My dear Count; I have a proposition for you."

* * *

_*Yes, it is a reference to Led Zeppelin. ;)_


	7. Standoff

_Thanks everyone for the kind words! So glad this one's being enjoyed!_

* * *

**Chapter Seven: Standoff**

"Captain?" Milo sounded concerned. "What is it?"

It was incredibly disorienting to hear her voice in his mind but Stonewall set the feeling aside for now, as well as the myriad of questions that came arose from the communication. _I'm sure it's just a Jedi thing, _he thought as he looked back at the others. "She's in trouble," he replied. "Worse than we thought. The pirates know who she is; there's a group coming for us as well."

"Excellent," Traxis said, lifting his blasters. "Too bad Vera isn't here to greet the _bishwags_. The twins will have to do for now." Everyone chuckled at the mention of the scarred clone's blaster cannon.

Crest nodded, his hands already on a grenade. "Let's show them what _real _fighting looks like." Before the captain had been contacted by Kali, the squad had been running flat out across the desert, following the line of dirt that had been kicked up by the swoops; in the distance they could make out flickering, purple energy beams that led to the pirates' stronghold. The terrain here was rocky and uneven, with huge pits in the ground that periodically spewed up the corrosive acid that Stone had read about from the prior reports of this planet.

Though the others were crouched behind a series of boulders, Weave had clambered to the top of the nearest one and was using his electrobinoculars to scan the surrounding landscape. "Captain," he said, pointing to a spot in the distance. "I think I see the wreckage of the Republic ship that crashed here before – the one that the Senators rode in. It appears that it was too damaged for the pirates to salvage much."

He passed the device to Stonewall who had climbed up beside him so that the clone captain could make out the charred remains of the transport in the center of the field. Stone looked back at the others. "It seems like we're expecting guests," he said. "And I don't know about you, but I don't feel like running the rest of the way to the pirates' home."

The grin in Crest's voice was evident. "Are you suggesting that we lie in wait and spring our own trap, Captain?"

"And make use of their swoops?" Milo added. "I'm tired of sprinting all over this desert."

It was more productive to make light of the situation than worry about Kali, so Stonewall smiled beneath his bucket. "I think it's the least we can do, to repay their hospitality."

Traxis spun his blasters on his fingertips. "_Mar'e._ I'm itching for a fight."

"Well, it looks like you won't have long to wait, Trax," Weave replied, holding the 'oculars again. "I see a distinctive dust cloud making its way to our position. Should be here in about ten minutes."

Stonewall gestured to the wreckage of the ship. "Gentlemen: shall we?"

* * *

"I have a more important matter to attend to than this...woman," Dooku said, his gaze flicking to Kalinda once before returning to the pirate leader. "You claim that this person is a Jedi? That's why you contacted me? I have no time for such trifles."

Kali found herself unable to take much pleasure in Hondo's obvious confusion at Dooku's reaction, though the pirate leader hid it quickly. "There is a bounty of one million credits on the head of each Jedi captured," he said with a gesture towards her. "Here is a Jedi; now, when can I expect my payment?"

"I believe that you have other matters to concern yourself with," Dooku replied, raising a brow. "You would do well to remember our deal, my friend." The last two words sent chills down Kali's spine.

There was a flicker of fear from the pirate, though it was followed by a biting anger. "Our deal did not cover an event such as this," Hondo replied in a smooth voice. "Therefore I –"

Dooku waved his hand towards Kalinda. "I see no evidence that this one is even a Jedi; she may very well be one of your own crew in a very poor disguise. Besides, she lacks that cumbersome, self-righteous bearing that they all share." His stare remained on Hondo and his tone grew even more sinister. "May I reiterate that you are wasting my time? An unwise thing to do."

In the background, Kali could hear the voice of someone else, someone who sounded even less-pleased than Dooku about the situation, though she couldn't make out any words. However, at the strange voice the Sith lord seemed to grow more agitated, even glancing behind him once, though briefly, before looking back at the pirate and narrowing his eyes once more.

_This is likely to be very bad, _Kali thought, glancing at Hondo, who seemed to have reached a similar conclusion and had grown still.

"I should also tell you," the pirate added after a pause. "This Jedi was sent to destroy your...facility. There are others here as well, who my boys are searching for. We will see to it that they are taken care of." Kali sensed a flicker of pride from Hondo at the mention of his men, though it was swallowed by fear with the Count's next words.

"That is of little concern to me," he said in a dismissive tone. "You have already broken our deal by allowing Republic forces to arrive on your miserable little planet."

Hondo shook his head. "If I may remind you...that was not the arrangement, Count. We agreed that we would keep an eye on your base, not keep the Republic away from it." Kali could see that his fists were clenched beneath his coat.

Dooku's eyes closed for a moment; he had the air of one who was speaking to a small child. "I see little point in continuing this discussion any longer." He motioned to something that they could not see; moments later a battle droid appeared and handed the Count a small, rectangular object. "You have annoyed me for the last time, Hondo Ohnaka. However, I shall make one final use of you and see if these new droids are as effective as they have been purported to be. Unfortunately, I am unable to be present for your demise, but I shall savor the moment nonetheless." His finger moved over the device – which she could now see was a remote of some kind – and Kali watched Hondo's shoulders stiffen as the Sith entered the code that she presumed would activate the droids on Florrum. Before the pirate leader could reply, Count Dooku gave a grim smile. "Revenge is sweet, isn't it, my friend?"

The image died.

Kalinda looked at Hondo, who was again holding perfectly still, staring at the silent transmitter. "You need to let me go," she said, keeping her tone as calm as she could. "I can help you; my men can help you, but you need to let me go."

He glanced at her but shook his head. "You don't understand," he replied. "He's turned those...things loose already..." Again, she felt a throb of fear interspersed with agitation and remorse.

"It doesn't matter," Kali said. "We can do this. Out there is a force to be reckoned with: some of the best soldiers that the Republic has to offer. In here is a group of warriors whose home, whose freedom, is at risk. Together we can – "

"Why?" he interjected, approaching her again. Though his voice was hard, she could sense his thoughts wavering with her words. "Why would you help us?"

Kali met his gaze. "Let me go and I'll show you." She frowned. "And call off your men. I've ordered my troops not to harm them, but I'd rather not risk anything."

At this he threw back his head and laughed. "Though I haven't met any, I know of your clone soldiers," he said. "I know that no man has ever been bred who could take on a pirate with fire in his heart and a fight on his brain." Behind him, the pirates shuffled and nodded, their backs straightening at his words.

An image of Stonewall and his brothers came to her mind and Kali's tone softened. "My troops are more than soldiers; they are warriors – they are men – of no equal," she replied. "And I think you will be very surprised at what they are capable of."

* * *

In the last of the fading sunlight Stonewall could make out the figures of the pirates with his HUD and he tightened his grip on the Deece as the dust cloud grew closer. "Her orders still stand," he said to the others. "We're not to kill any of them outright, only disable them. We just need their transportation."

Traxis made a sound of frustration, but it was Milo who voiced the question that was on everyone's mind. "Captain, are you sure?"

"It was an order, Milo," he replied as he leaned against the bulkhead of the ship, the familiar form offering a measure of security. "And besides," he added. "As much as I'd like to blast some pirates, our fight's not with them." Traxis muttered something under his breath and Stonewall felt his own temper flare. "What was that, Trax?"

"I said it must be nice to be able to pick and choose what orders you follow."

Weave cleared his throat. Crest coughed. Milo was silent.

_And this was why I wanted to keep things quiet, _Stone thought. _Complications. _He glanced at the others. "I understand, Trax, but we can hash all of _that_ out later; now we need to focus on the mission. I didn't hallucinate her orders from before, did I?"

"No, sir," Milo replied, his voice quiet. "You're right: she said 'no bloodshed.'" The buzz of the swoops could now be heard in the distance, growing louder with each passing moment.

Traxis sighed. "Fine. No dead pirates."

"Hey, it's okay, _vod_," Crest said, slapping Traxis' back. "I'm sure they'll be plenty of things for you to shoot before this mission ends."

The buzzing sound increased and Stonewall took another look at the approaching forms; he counted ten vehicles with as many pirates. _Two to one, _he thought. _I like those odds. _"Everyone set your weapons for stun," he said. "Crest: prepare to give them a distraction. A round or two of well-placed dets should do it. Weave and Milo: you're in charge of getting us the swoops we need. Trax?"

"Captain?" His tone was slightly sarcastic but Stonewall let it slide for now.

"You and I will take care of the pirates. Feel free to stun as many as you want, as long as you don't kill them."

"Fantastic."

* * *

Once more, Kalinda found herself riding with the Weequay pirates, though this time her hands were unbound and she was seated behind their leader rather than one of his lackeys. In a surprising gesture of altruism, Hondo had given her a set of goggles to shield her eyes from the worst of the dust, for which she was grateful. Night was falling in earnest, which did little to allay her concerns; along with the fear for the lives of her men and the fragile accord that had been strung between her and Hondo was the thought of the stealth-droids, who even now were marching out to meet them. _How are we supposed to fight an enemy that we can't see?_

Before they'd left, Kali had requested her comlink back, but Hondo's Kowakian monkey-lizard had decided to rip it apart during her interrogation, so she was trying to contact Stonewall using the Force.

It wasn't working.

Perhaps it was the distraction of racing over the dunes and rocks in the custody of one of the galaxy's more notorious pirates, the concern she felt for Stone and the others, or even her own exhaustion, but she was unable to reach him. _He's fine, he's fine, he's fine, _she thought, willing it to be true. _We will succeed because we must succeed. The Force is with us. _The words felt flat. She ducked her head to keep the dust from her nose and tried to take a deep breath; all she could smell was sand, fuel and the scent of smoke and ale that clung to the pirate's coat.

"Not much farther now," Hondo called to her, his voice carried over the buzz of the swoop. "They're near the wreck of the last Republic ship that made its way to our home."

"You still can't get a hold of your men?" Talking into the wind resulted only in more sand in her mouth and the words came out as more of a sputter than speech.

He did not respond for a moment and she sensed agitation from him. "We do not have the communication amenities that your Republic has," he said at last. "They were to check in only when they spotted your troops, and again when they were on their way back."

Kalinda nodded but kept her mouth closed. Though the goggles tinted everything yellow, she could still see the desert sands racing away beneath them, a blur in the night. Again she shut her eyes and tried to reach across the Force to Stonewall, letting all of the distractions pass through her: the buzz of the swoops; the hissing of air rushing past her ears; the thrumming of the engine beneath her seat; the biting of stray sand against her exposed skin; the fear in her heart at the thought of harm coming to him or to any of her squad.

Her concentration was broken when the swoops' frenetic pace slowed and she looked up in surprise. Ahead of her she heard Hondo's exclamation of dismay as her eyes registered what was happening at the site of the fallen Republic ship. "It appears you were correct about the prowess of your men," he said to her as he halted the vehicle. Indeed, she could make out the clones' blaster fire, electric blue in the darkness, as well as several pirate bodies on the ground before them. "So much for your promises, Jedi." His voice was bitter.

An explosion, a bright patch of orange and yellow in the darkness, blossomed beyond the pirates' position, causing the ones still standing to yelp in dismay as they were flung off of their feet. Shots fired at their hearts. The pirates who had come with Hondo began shouting and cursing, leaping from their vehicles to face the clones.

Heedless of anything besides the battle before her, Kalinda gathered the Force and leaped away from Hondo's swoop, landing about thirty yards from the clones' position. Wishing she had her saber, Kali raced towards her men. "Stone," she shouted. "What are you doing? Stand down!"

As he rose to meet her she realized that, even without his distinctive armor – beneath which he shared a face with every other clone in the galaxy – she would be able to pick him out of a thousand of his brothers; he reached beneath his kama and pulled out her lightsaber and tossed it to her with a familiar ease. She caught it but didn't activate the blade as she ran to him. Behind her she heard Hondo shout an order to his men, though she didn't know what it was.

"Kalinda?" Stonewall was there, he was an arm's length from her, hale and healthy and radiating relief and confusion. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"I told you not to kill them," she said, pointing to the pirates' bodies. "I gave you an order..." She looked at the other clones who were clustered behind him and remembered his request from earlier. "You defied a direct order, trooper," she added, injecting her tone with vehemence. "I told you exactly what I expected of you, Captain, yet you ignored me. It _will_ be the last time."

It took him a moment to reply and she winced inwardly at the distress in his thoughts. "They're only stunned," he replied, shaking his head. "We just wanted their swoops, Kali...General Halcyon. To come for you...that's it."

"Stunned?" She reached through the Force and looked at the fallen pirates again; indeed, they were only unconscious. Her chest lifted and dropped as she sighed, then she looked up at him. "So they are."

"You gave me an order," he replied, his voice quiet as he stepped closer to her. "Are you okay?" His helmet tilted as he studied her. "You're shaking." His gloved hands reached for hers, though he checked himself.

She nodded and glanced behind her at Hondo, who was approaching, several of his men at his back. "They're only stunned," she called.

The pirate leader gave a guttural instruction to one of his men, who scurried forward to check his fallen comrades. Kali glanced behind Stonewall at the other clones, who were watching the scene; she figured that Stone was relaying the information to them via the comlinks in their helmets. "I'm sorry I yelled at you," she whispered. "I didn't mean it." He was right; her hands were shaking, but a few deep breaths eased the tension.

His voice was wry. "I did ask for it, didn't I?"

"Yes, you did," she replied with a small smile. "You know I'd rather do other things to you then yell." They looked at each other for a moment before she cleared her throat. "Are the others okay?" she added, her voice still hushed.

There was a pause before he answered. "We're fine, though..." he paused again, then shook his head. "Never mind...It's not important now. I'll tell you later." There was the faintest edge of humor in his voice that made her smile as she studied at him. "Nice goggles, by the way."

She lifted them off of her eyes and grinned into his visor. "They're not pretty, but they serve their purpose." Her reflection showed that she had bright rings of clear skin around her eyes that were surrounded by dirt and dust. _What I wouldn't do for a shower right about now._

The pirate had returned to Hondo and they spoke for several moments before her former captor looked up at her and tilted his head, indicating that she should approach. In response, Kalinda pointed to a spot at the dead center of their two groups, so after a moment they met in the middle. Stonewall moved to follow her; she nearly asked him to stay with the rest of his men, but decided against it as she found that she had missed his presence at her side.

Sparing Stonewall only a cursory glance, Hondo took a deep breath and looked down at her but it was Kali who spoke first. "I kept my word," she said. "Which is more, it seems, than Dooku has done." She gestured to the rocky desert. "Out there are an unknown number of droids that cannot be detected by scanners or sensors, coming our way. Will you help us or not?"

The pirate leader nodded slowly. "I have not had much opportunity to deal with Jedi," he said. "Which I'm not complaining about, mind you, but you have shown yourselves to be more than just skilled warriors." He glanced again at Stonewall and then at the others, who were standing in a loose formation a few meters behind her. "These are the Republic soldiers I have heard so much about?"

Kalinda smiled at Stone; she felt a flicker of apprehension from him, but no fear. Not anymore. "They are."

"They fought well against my men, though a droid battalion is another matter. I suppose we shall see if they are as formidable as you claim," he replied. "Now, my dear, how do you presume to defeat an enemy that we cannot see?"


	8. Sight Unseen

**Chapter Eight: Sight Unseen**

Pirates and clones alike formed a loose formation around the ship, though Stonewall could feel the tension in the air even as the leaders of the two groups had seemed to form an shaky accord. The pirate leader, the one that Kali had named "Hondo," was kneeling opposite her in the dirt, studying the holo-map that encompassed both his home and their current location; in a moment, he pressed a button on the transmitter and the image panned back, revealing the canyon where the clones had come across the facility.

"First things first," Kalinda said, her face illumined by the hologram. "We need to find out where the droids are currently located." She looked at Stonewall who was kneeling beside her. "You didn't happen to see any evidence of them on your way here, did you?"

He shook his head. "No. However, if we return to the facility, we can probably track them...I'm assuming they still leave footprints in the sand." She smiled at him and he felt his heart skip a beat again; he still wanted to touch her even though it was not the time or place.

"You may take a few of our swoops and look around," the pirate said in his lilting accent. "But my men will not be going over there; they're here only to protect our home."

At this Stonewall nodded. "I'll send Crest and Weave; they can do some recon, maybe collect some information..."

"And blow it up?" Crest added from behind Stone. "Please tell me I can blow it up?"

Kalinda's brow furrowed. "Once we find out where they are, there is still the matter of taking them out. There isn't sand everywhere to track them with, and even if there were, it would be difficult to get a true reckoning of their numbers." She took a deep breath and rocked back on her heels, clearly still considering the issue.

Hondo raised an eyebrow at her. "I thought that the Jedi could fight even while blind?"

"True," she replied. "But one Jedi does not an army make."

Stonewall cleared his throat and both Jedi and pirate looked at him, the latter seemed annoyed more than anything else. "If we _could _see them, I know we could take them out with little issue, especially between the lot of us." He gestured to the pirates and his men.

"_If_ we could see them," Hondo replied, shaking his head. "But, my dear boy, we cannot." He spoke as if to a child.

In his ear, Stonewall could hear his brothers on the clones' private comm channel. "I don't like that _di'kut_'s tone, Captain," Traxis said.

"I don't like his face," Crest added. "All wrinkly and mean-looking. Why does the General trust him?"

Milo spoke next. "What does it matter? She does, so we should as well. End of story."

"Captain," Weave said. "You're right. If there was a way to make the droids visible...well, the main issue would be resolved, wouldn't it?" His tone was thoughtful. "If we can maybe convert those power grids that run to the pirate base...maybe we could, I don't know, hit them with an energy field? Enough to disable them, or at least make some pretty visible sparks?"

Stonewall relayed the suggestion to Kalinda, who nodded slowly. "Maybe..."

"Absolutely not," the pirate leader said, his braids swaying as he shook his head. "We just got those lines fixed after the last time your compatriots were here."

"Fair enough..." Kali said, studying the map for another moment. Suddenly her eyes lit up and she glanced at Hondo with a wide grin; Stone knew her well enough to know that this expression meant that something rather interesting was about to happen. "How much spice do you have?"

The Weequay's eyes narrowed. "What does my spice have to do with anything?"

"Humor me, please."

"Thinking of developing a new habit, are you?" the pirate leered. Stonewall's grip tightened on his Deece at the pirate's tone, but Kali ignored him.

"Weave?" she called out. "Can you come here, please?" The clone trotted over and knelt beside them.

"General?"

She took a deep breath. "You mentioned something on the ship, about a group of Corellian pirates who were stranded on an asteroid..."

He nodded. "They had only enough power to keep life-support going – barely – not enough for communications, at any rate." He paused and looked at her. "They used the spice," he said, his tone growing thoughtful again. "To create a bright glow on their ship that could be detected by a rescue vessel, which, funnily enough, turned out to be the ones they'd been running from to begin with – "

Kalinda held up her hand, though she was nodding. "Do you know how they did it?"

At this he shook his head. "The account doesn't specify. We could probably figure it out, though..."

"Perhaps we could heat it?" Kalinda mused. "Or...combine it with something? I noticed that it glows a little when mixed with ale." She glanced at the ship behind them. "Milo, will you check and see if there are any fire-extinguishers left?"

"I don't like where this line of inquiry is headed," Hondo broke in as Milo made his way into the charred shuttle. "My spice is too valuable to use in this way."

After a moment Milo's head poked out. "I see four units, General."

"Is that spice more valuable than your home?" Stonewall replied, looking at the pirate. "More than the lives of those in your command?" On a whim, he removed his helmet and met Ohnaka's gaze. "It seems to me that the choice is an easy one."

Hondo gaped at him, his eyes flicking from Weave to Stone and back again. "Jango...?"

Kali tilted her head. "You've never seen a clone without his armor, have you?" She called to the others, who moved to stand behind her. "Loose the buckets, guys."

They shed their helmets and Hondo continued to stare open-mouthed. Stonewall studied him. "You knew Jango Fett?"

"I did," the pirate said after a moment. "Your voices sounded familiar, but..." He trailed off as he looked from one face to the next, shaking his head. "That crazy son-of-a-bitch..."

"Watch your mouth," Traxis growled. "Jango Fett was an honorable man."

Hondo lifted his hands, clearly still at a loss. "I know, my friend. He was one of the good ones. I was just not expecting to see his...face again." He looked back at Kalinda. "You Jedi are full of surprises, aren't you?"

She smiled. "It's a long story for another time, I think. Now, about that spice..."

* * *

"I'm not sure which of us is crazier," Hondo muttered beside her. "You for coming up with this plan, or me for going along with it."

Kalinda shifted in place, her eyes fixed on the horizon. "Really? I thought it was rather clever, myself. At least we can put all that spice to a better use, anyway." It was the thick of night now, and the world was swathed in darkness.

"It _was _being put to good use," he replied. "As in lining my coffers and keeping my crew happy."

"If you have another suggestion, I'm open to it," she said, shooting Stonewall a wink. However, a thought had occurred to her and she looked back at the pirate. "You realize that this may only be a temporary solution? The droid armies that you've tried to keep at bay may very well come here in full force after this little stunt."

Nodding, Hondo took a deep breath before glancing back at his men and women. "The thought did cross my mind, yes," he replied. "But it seems that we have little choice at this juncture. We are talented in many, many ways," he added, looking back at her, a grim smile on his face. "One of which being the art of...disappearing. There are other places where we can go to stay out of the Separatists' way until this unpleasant business is concluded."

"Perhaps next time you encounter a Sith lord, you'll just leave him alone?"

At this, Hondo gave a chuckle. "I might reconsider. Unless the payoff was _exceptionally _fine..."

Kali sighed and cast her eyes upward. "Some things are beyond my comprehension, I suppose. Are your warriors ready?"

The pirate turned and barked an order to the Weequay pirates behind him, who were waiting with blasters raised. One of them made a reply and Hondo excused himself to speak with them. After he'd left, Kalinda glanced at Stonewall. "Have Crest and Weave checked in yet?"

He nodded. "They're at the facility, but..." A pause, a tilt of his head; she knew that he was speaking to the others and she realized how much of a difference it had made to be able to communicate to all of them at once. After a few moments he spoke again. "Confirmed: the doors are open and they've found what appear to be a, and I quote, 'helluva lotta tinny tracks' leading in the direction towards the pirate base. Crest's words, not mine," he added.

A smile crept to her face. "Good old Crest."

"We're right in their path, assuming they make a direct path for the pirate base," he continued. "So they should be here within thirty minutes. Weave wants to take a look around the facility, to see if he can't get any more intel before Crest demolishes it." His words were those of a man who knew that he was doing exactly what he was supposed to be doing and it made her suddenly, irrationally delighted to hear his voice.

"I would kiss you," she whispered, leaning closer to him. "But I wouldn't want to blow our cover. Especially after our 'argument' earlier."

At this his head ducked and she felt a flare of embarrassment from him. "Er...about that..."

"What?"

He sighed. "Now's not the time..." His head inclined to the pirates beyond them, who were engaged in a deep discussion, and Traxis and Milo, who were on either side of the barrier they'd formed of the remaining pieces of the crashed Republic ship's bulkhead.

Intrigued, Kali put a hand on his arm. "Tell me, please?"

"You're not going to like it..." She could hear the frown in his tone. "They know," he said at last, pitching his voice low. "The others. They know about...us."

She had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing. "Do they?"

"You aren't upset?"

"Should I be?"

Confusion emanated from him. "You're a Jedi," he replied. "You're my CO and their CO...it's not...it isn't...proper."

"Says who?"

He was silent for a moment before he gave a deep sigh and shook his head. "Just when I think I'm starting to understand you..."

"You were the one who was so wrapped up about keeping it from the others, remember? If I'm going to be upset, it'd be because of the pretend yelling I agreed to do. I'm a grown woman, Stone," she added. "And life's too short." Again, she touched his arm. "But you're not happy about it...I'm sorry. I should be more sympathetic. What do you want to do?"

"I'm not sure," he replied. "I haven't really had a chance to think about it." His visor turned to her again. "You're really not upset?"

At this she did laugh. "No, Stone. However," she cleared her throat and shot the other clones a glance; they straightened abruptly and she knew they'd been eavesdropping. "First smart comment and I leave them on Florrum. I think Hondo might want some new crew members. You guys get that?"

Though she couldn't see him, she knew that Weave's face was red. "Yes...General." Traxis said nothing, but his head inclined towards her. She looked back at Stonewall.

"We'll figure it out," she said. "Together. Okay?" On impulse, she pictured doing something with him that was not at all proper and projected the image towards the clone.

She could hear his smile. "Together."

"Did I hear my name?" Hondo spoke up. "You aren't planning a mutiny, are you?"

Kalinda glanced at him. "For it to be a mutiny, we'd have to be under your command."

"Then you are thinking of other ways to drive me to destitution," he replied, his voice dramatic. "How very upsetting this war business has gotten."

"Better poor than dead," Stonewall said.

The pirate chuckled. "How pragmatic. And it will be nice to get rid of those meddlesome droids; the good Count has been holding them over my head for some time, now." He nodded to the swoops behind them, each carrying two pirates, one steering and the other holding a fire-extinguisher that had been emptied and re-filled with the glowing, spiced ale. "We're ready when you are, Kali."

"Only a little bit longer," she said. "Milo, Trax: you guys are set?"

Traxis nodded, his weapons raised. "No better diversion than us, General."

"We'll have give those clankers something to focus on while the others do their thing," Milo added.

"Remember to save a few," Kalinda replied. "We still need to study them; hopefully Weave and Crest will come up with some other information from the facility."

"Of all the Jedi in the galaxy; I get assigned to the one who wants to look at tinnies, not obliterate them."

"There will be plenty of obliterating, Traxis," she replied, her voice wry. "Just take it easy on one or two."

As he listened to the exchange, Hondo chuckled and shot an approving look at Traxis. "Anxious for a fight, eh? Just like Jango." At his words, Kalinda felt all of the clones react, as if mentally standing at attention.

Stonewall spoke next. "Just got word from the other team; the droids are definitely making for our location." He raised his blaster. "Maybe five minutes away."

Kalinda reached out with the Force, but she was unable to sense the approaching droid battalion. "You'd think we could hear them, at least."

"I think we will, soon enough," Stonewall replied. She felt a tentative brush of his mind as it sought hers, which startled her. _Kali?_

_Stone?_

There was a pause before he answered. _I was worried about you. I know that you're a Jedi, but...I was worried._

She nodded to herself. _I know how you feel, Stone. I was worried about you, too. But you made the right choice to come for me, in the end._ Again she laid her hand on his arm. _Thank you._

* * *

It was definitely one of the most unusual battles of Stone's career.

As it turned out no one knew the droids were there until it was almost too late; however, the clones and Jedi provided a distraction for the clankers, who seemed more than eager – if a droid could be eager – to fire on the organic life-forms. From the remaining swoops, the pirates sprayed the noxious mix of spice and ale into the fray, which speckled across the bulky shapes of the droids well enough for the others to get a clear visual target. Another element of chaos was added when Crest and Weave returned from their mission, plummeting down the nearest dune and opening fire on the clankers from their swoop, the bright blaster fire arcing through the night.

Stonewall was able to disable two of the droids without turning them to scrap; a shout to Kali alerted her to the fact and she paused mid-swing of her saber to push the droids to the side with the Force. He noted that she didn't have her blaster and resolved to ensure that it was returned before they left Florrum.

It was exhilarating to fight by her side again; he found that he was growing more used to her movements and strategies, taking comfort in the yellow glow of her saber in the corner of his eye. At one point during the battle, after he felled a group of droids, he caught her watching him with an intensity that made his head swim. Later he found himself trying to show off for her, taking on more and more droids at a time just to see that look of admiration and desire on her face. Part of him knew that it was silly and dangerous, but he found that he didn't much care about that any longer. _I may only be able to do one thing, _he thought as he dropped another of the glowing droid outlines. _But I do it pretty damn well. _

The pirates also proved their mettle, showing themselves to be more ferocious warriors than he'd given them credit for, a fact that his brothers noted. "Not so bad for a bunch of spice-addled lowlifes, huh?" Crest shouted over the comm as he, Stone, and Traxis stood back-to-back-to-back, firing on the remaining droids. The dirt at their feet was a bizarre mixture of smoldering droid-parts and droplets of glowing liquid; it appeared that once they were cut down, the droids lost their stealthy quality.

Trax grunted. "Not too shabby, I guess."

Stonewall smiled to himself. _High praise, coming from him. _During a lull in battle he glanced at Kali, who had moved to a position near the pirate leader. Her saber was less a beam of light and more of a spiral or an arc as she deflected bolt after bolt, her movements were controlled and fluid. _I could watch her forever, _he thought. _Or at least as long as I'm around to do so. _

Just as dawn was starting to peek over the horizon the last droid was taken out by Traxis, who stood on its chest and fired a single shot through the head of the thing, nodding to himself as it sputtered and died. The air stank of hot metal, burned ale and spice. Stonewall made his way to Kali and Hondo, who were surveying the battlefield; at his approach, she turned and smiled at him. She was filthy, covered in dirt and spots of glowing liquid, but at that moment she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

"Great job," she said as he stood beside her. "I mean, really. Look at all of this," she spread her hands, indicating the glowing remains of the droids. "You guys are fantastic." Her voice was filled with warmth and he felt a glow of pride.

"And my men just stood aside and let them do all of the work, I suppose?" the pirate leader replied, though he too looked at Stonewall with admiration.

Stone nodded. "We worked together. It was an excellent team effort." He gestured to the others who were approaching.

"You can say that again," Kali replied. She turned to Hondo and stuck out her hand. "Well, it looks like our work here is done. Thanks for...everything."

The pirate leader managed to look amused and affronted at once, lifting his own hands to his chest. "After all we've been through...you're just going to leave? You don't want to stay and celebrate this glorious victory with us tonight?"

"I can't believe they have _more _ale after all that." Milo's voice over the comm was incredulous.

Crest nodded in agreement. "Now _that's _impressive."

Kalinda didn't seem surprised. "Thank you," she replied. "But we should really get going."

"No," Hondo said, holding up his hands. "I absolutely insist that you celebrate with us. Please," he added as an afterthought, seeing her dubious expression. "Don't say that you don't trust me, Kali? You can even bring your ship to the base, if it will set you at ease."

She studied him for a moment before looking back at Stone and the others. "What do you guys think?" At her words they looked at each other for a moment, confused.

"I could use a drink after that," Crest replied slowly, giving Stonewall a questioning look.

"I can take a swoop and fetch the shuttle," Milo added, his voice hopeful.

Traxis shrugged and slid his blasters in their holsters. "Works for me." Weave nodded as well, and she looked at Stonewall.

"And you, Captain?" Something in her gaze sent a shiver across his skin.

He nodded once. "Sounds good, General."

She looked back at the Weequay. "Very well," she said. "But I want your assurance that _everyone_ will be safe, Hondo. And don't act like you're insulted," she added as the pirate opened his mouth to speak. "You're not fooling anyone."

At this he chuckled. "After what you have all done for us? I promise," he added, his hand raised. "You and yours will come to no harm under my roof. On my dear mother's grave, this I swear." Hondo raised his goggles and regarded her with small, sharp eyes as he reached beneath his coat and pulled out a blaster, which caused the clones to snap to attention, though he merely chuckled and handed it to Kali, hilt first. "As further proof of my goodwill, here is your weapon – a nice one, too, if I may say – so you can rest assured that I mean you no harm."

Kalinda took the blaster and slid it back into its holster at her hip, opposite her lightsaber. "Okay," she said at last. "We'll stay for the party. But after that we're leaving." She looked at the clones. "You guys hear that? Keep your revelry in moderation, please."

Crest gave her a smart salute. "Aye, General. Hey," he said suddenly, turning to Weave. "What about 'Shadow Squad?'"

"I like it," Weave replied with a nod. "Has a nice ring to it."

From Weave's other side, Milo nodded. "Me too." They looked at Traxis who was examining his weapons, checking for any damage.

The scarred clone did not reply for a moment. Finally he gave a curt nod. "It's good."

Crest whooped and the pirates in their vicinity began to applaud, though Kali was fairly certain that they had no idea what the exchange meant. She looked at Hondo, who seemed amused. "We have some things to attend to, but we'll see you this evening."

The Weequay gave a low bow. "We look forward to it."


	9. Different Kind of Freedom

**Chapter Nine: Different Kind of Freedom**

It turned out to be the right decision.

In the aftermath of the fight Hondo had shown himself to be rather gracious – especially when you had just saved his men and home from certain destruction – though Kali knew he was not happy about the loss of his spice, necessary though it had been. However, he only mentioned it a few times in passing before they parted ways for the day, so she considered the matter forgotten in light of the victory.

Some things were more important than money, after all.

Soon enough she and the others had returned to the ship to wash the dust off and hopefully get a few hours' rest. "I don't know if I can sleep," Crest said as he stepped out of the 'fresher. "I'm still too keyed up. Anyone else think that the fight was actually kind of fun? You're up, Trax."

Weave and Milo were checking over the ship to ensure that all was as they'd left it. "It's probably residual fumes from the spice," Weave replied. "I feel a little lightheaded myself." He glanced back at Kalinda, who was seated at the table beside Stone. "Everything looks fine, General."

She nodded and ran her fingers through her damp hair, reveling in the feeling of being clean again."Were you able to get any more intel on the stealth-droids?"

Crest and Weave exchanged a look before the bald clone spoke. "Do you want the good news or the bad news?"

Weave rolled his eyes. "The good news is that it doesn't look like they're being made anywhere else, and that the ones we destroyed were all prototypes...fortunately. It seems like there was some kind of problem with the individual generators that shielded them from view...I suppose that's why they hadn't been mass-produced yet." He held up a datastick. "This should be everything that we need to know about the blasted things at any rate."

"And the bad news?"

Crest gave a long sigh and shook his head. "I'm out of detonation tape," he said at last, his face falling. "Used it all to send that place up in smoke."

Kali glanced at the captain and raised her eyebrow. "Is it possible that we've managed another successful mission?"

"Well, no one got injured, poisoned, or ransomed..." he said with a nod before he grinned at her. "It's looking like that, isn't it?"

"Excellent," she replied, getting to her feet. "I'll let Coruscant know."

Several minutes after Kali left the room, Crest plopped down beside the clone captain. "So...she knows that we know...?"

Stonewall nodded.

"I still can't believe it," Milo added. At a look from Stone he shrugged. "That no one told me, I mean." At this there was a chuckle that went around the room before Traxis emerged from the 'fresher, dressed as the others were in the black body-glove that they all wore beneath their armor.

"Are we still talking about this?"

"About what?" Kalinda appeared at the door that led to her quarters and the clones sat up as she re-entered the common area, taking the seat beside Stonewall. No one spoke for a few minutes while she looked at them. "There's a bantha in the room," she said at last. "Who wants to go first?"

Silence.

She cleared her throat. "Okay, I'll start. We're all adults here – well, maybe except for Crest – and I would like to think that what's going on between myself and the Captain should stay personal. However," she glanced at Stone. "The nature of our lives right now makes that a tricky path to walk."

"I thought that Jedi weren't supposed to...?" Weave said with hesitation.

"Believe it or not," she replied. "That's a bit of a gray area. We can't get married, but we aren't forbidden from forming personal connections as long as duty always comes first. At least, that's been my experience."

Milo shook his head. "I don't understand."

Stonewall sighed. "We're just...well..." he paused and felt heat creep to his cheeks as he glanced at her.

"Taking it one day at a time," she finished, smiling at him before looking at the others. "If you don't feel comfortable with the situation," she added. "I can request a reassignment."

At these words, Stone felt a thrill of apprehension in his veins, but the others looked incredulous. "General," Weave said at last, shaking his head. "I think I speak for everyone when I say that we like our...arrangement. It's not our business what you – or the captain – do with your, er, spare time."

Milo nodded. "I think I'll stick with Weave on this one."

"Me too, as long as you don't get all lovey-dovey," Crest added. "No one needs to be exposed to _that._"

"Traxis?" Stone said, looking at the scarred clone, who was leaning against the bulkhead.

After a moment he shrugged. "It's your life," he said. "As long as our missions aren't affected." He frowned at Kalinda. "General, why do you care what we think?" At this, all of the clones, Stonewall included, looked at her.

She did not answer right away and Stone got the impression that the question had startled her. "Because I value your opinions," she said at last, meeting each of their eyes. "Because, if we're going to keep working together, I want to know that all of you are...happy with your situation."

"Happiness," Crest mused, leaning back in his chair. "That's not something the Kaminoans really concerned themselves with in regards to us, you know."

"Right," Milo replied with a nod. "We're only clones. Who cares what we think about anything?"

"I do," she said, her voice quiet. "Very much." She looked at Stonewall. "You are all more than the sum of your training and your DNA. There is so much potential in each of you...that's one of the reasons I've been pushing you to learn music."

"What's another reason?" Crest asked.

At this, Kali shrugged. "It's what I love to do," she replied. Suddenly her eyes lit up. "Speaking of which," she said, a grin spreading across her face. "Who's up for an impromptu concert tonight at the celebration?"

* * *

"Much better than a jukebox, don't you think?" Kali asked Hondo as the clones finished another song. She had opted out of the last few melodies to sit with the pirate leader and simply enjoy the sight and sound of the squad of brothers as they made music together. All around them, the pirates cheered and whooped in appreciation and she smiled as Crest gave a low bow while the others teetered on the edge between embarrassment and enjoyment.

Hondo sipped his ale and nodded, though his gaze was around the rest of the room, at the men and women who followed his command; the raucous sounds of the current celebration were a far cry from the muted, nervous murmurs of the previous day. "I was not aware that the Republic saw fit to train its soldiers in the performing arts," he said at last, glancing at her.

Kali smiled. "That would be my influence, I suppose." A glimmer of polished steel caught her eye and she watched as Stonewall adjusted the tuning on the ion-steel gitar. "Influence or coercion...I'm still not sure what they think about it."

"If my opinion means anything to you, they seem happy," he replied. The lizard-monkey had made its way back to his lap and was preening under his hand. "As do my men. Though it will not last forever, it is good to take comfort where and when you can, eh?" He cast another sidelong glance at her, though her gaze was still on Stonewall. "Kali?"

Blinking rapidly, she looked back at him. "I agree." There was a mug of water at her elbow; she took a drink and noted that the taste was clearer than before.

He chuckled, but made no comment on her distraction. After a moment she called out a song to the clones, another one they'd been working on, and they began to play; tentatively at first, but once the audience began to clap along the clones' confidence seemed to grow and she noted the change with interest. Milo now had little trouble keeping the beat while Crest added several new flourishes to his harmonica that she didn't remember teaching him. The sound of Traxis' flute rippled with an almost tangible strength, while Weave seemed to have less and less difficulty reaching the chords of the dulcimer.

But all of this she noticed peripherally. It was Stonewall who held the bulk of her attention as his fingers moved across the steel strings of the gitar, his face cast in the glint of light as he bent over the instrument. The resonant sound sent chills across her skin and she felt her pulse quicken as she watched him play. _He has a natural affinity for music, _she thought. _He's going to be really good. Amazing, even. _

Hondo's abrupt laughter from his seat caused her to glance at him; she watched as he lifted his mug to her. "What is it?"

The pirate leader chuckled and shook his head but again offered no reply.

About half an hour later, when the clones had run out of songs to play, Hondo bade them join him and several members of his crew at his table, where soon enough the group started reliving the battle of the previous day. Kalinda and Stonewall were seated together a little ways down from Crest and the others and she smiled to herself as Traxis asked Hondo a question about Jango Fett; the pirate then launched into an elaborate story that seemed to consist of more hyperbole than fact, though she sensed the truthfulness of his friendship with the bounty hunter.

She glanced at Stone. He seemed to be listening to the tale though she could sense his attention was not entirely on the pirate, nor on the mug before him that he'd only sipped from once or twice. "How's it going?"

He looked at her. "Not bad. You?"

A smile crept to her face. "Could be better."

"Oh?" Curiosity emanated from him; combined with desire and happiness it was a heady brew.

"You're getting good with that ion-steel gitar, you know," she replied, putting a hand on his knee beneath the table. "I think you have a talent for music." Though the clones had replaced their body armor for the celebration, she imagined that she could feel the warmth of his skin beneath her palm.

His eyes met hers. "It feels strange to hear that," he confessed. At her perplexed look he elaborated. "I've only been trained to do one thing, you know," he said. "But it's...nice to think I might be good at something else. Strange," he added. "But nice." His knee shifted, pressing into her palm.

Kali felt her heartbeat quicken as she watched him. "Have I told you lately that I think you're a marvel?"

"I was going to say the same thing about you." he replied before smiling and looking at his mug, color rising in his cheeks.

"Great minds, then?" Her hand moved higher, to his upper thigh. There was a spot where the armor gave way to the black body glove, beneath which she could feel the muscles of his leg; she sent a tendril of Force energy towards him and watched his eyes closed briefly as the pulse of his desire elevated, matched by her own.

"What?" He moved closer to her, set his arm around the back of her chair; after a moment he placed his hand on her shoulder, the touch sending chills across her skin.

She leaned forward. "The expression: great minds think alike. You've never heard it?" His stubble was a little thicker, his eyes on hers were honey-brown. Her heartbeat quickened further still.

"No," he replied. "I haven't." His mouth was close to hers, a breath away.

"For kriff's sake," Crest shouted suddenly. "Go on and kiss each other, already!" Following his outburst was a host of hooting, hollering and various lewd suggestions by both pirates and clones alike.

Laughing, she looked into Stonewall's eyes and felt heat creeping to her own cheeks even as she watched his face flame. They met in the middle; the kiss was sudden and deep and she thought that she could get lost within it for a very long time.

* * *

Happiness.

It was not something with which Stonewall or his brothers had ever really concerned themselves. Of course they joked and shared laughs, but underneath it all was the knowledge that their purpose in life would not allow them that thing that most other beings in the galaxy strove for. It was not their place to desire such abstract concepts like happiness, freedom, choice...it was supposed to be enough to do one's job and be good at it enough to do it again the next day.

Crest made a joke and everyone at the table – pirate and clone – broke into laughter. Stone cast a glance down at Kalinda; she was leaning into his side, her fingertips tracing invisible patterns on his armored knee. _There is a lot more to life than I ever imagined, _he thought as he felt her chuckle. His hand rested on her shoulder. The pirate had given her some different clothes to wear to replace her own filthy robes: a sleeveless purple tunic that fell to her knees and hit the spot below her collarbone that moved with her breath. Beneath the fabric her skin was warm and he ran his hand lightly along her arm, feeling her sigh and press herself closer to him as he did so.

From across the room he could make out a group of pirates playing sabacc, tossing down cards, shouting and gesturing to one another though there was only camaraderie in the air. A Weequay lad brought another round of ale to the table with his brothers and the pirates; he watched as all the mugs clinked together in toast. His own drink sat beside him, forgotten in the wake of something far more intoxicating in his vicinity.

After a moment Kali twisted around and looked up at him. "I think they're done playing music for now," she said, her words deliberate. "Will you help me bring the instruments back to the ship?"

"Of course," he replied, feeling his pulse leap at the look in her eyes. She nodded and they stood up together and moved to gather up the discarded cases.

Kali approached Hondo, who was in the middle of yet another story about Jango Fett. "Thank you for your hospitality," she said. "I'm glad things worked out the way they did." She stuck out her free hand; this time he shook it firmly.

"It is I who should thank you, Kali," he replied. "I doubt any of us would be left alive if it weren't for you and your warriors." He put a hand to his chin and regarded her for a moment before dropping it and shaking his head.

Amused, Kali looked at him. "What is it?"

"You Jedi," he answered. "You are not at all what I expected. And neither are those who follow you." He gave a true smile. "I find it is a good thing to know that I can still be surprised, after all these years." With that, he nodded to Stonewall and turned back towards the others, shouting for someone to fetch more ale.

Stone helped her collect the instruments and ignored the knowing looks from his brothers; he followed her outside the base and to their ship, which rested in the far corner of the landing area. It was evening again, the air cool and mild. The sky was a deep shade of saffron and for once they were not buffeted by the dust and dirt as they made their way into the shuttle. Neither of them spoke until they reached the door to her quarters, when she looked up at him.

"I want you to know," she said, setting her cases on the floor. "That these past months with you have been nothing short of extraordinary." She put her arms around his waist and leaned up to kiss him. They were quiet for a few minutes before he pulled back, leaving them both breathless. "What is it?" she asked. "Is something wrong?"

"No, Kali," he said, smiling at her. "It's just..." He cupped her face in his hands and held her gaze. "I only wish I could give you something in return for all you've given me."

Her look back at him was bright with desire even as her answering tone was wry. "I can think of a way to settle the score," she mused, taking his hand as the door slid open. For the briefest moment he wondered what she meant, but he found that – as he'd imagined – he figured it out soon enough.

It was _definitely_ worth the wait.

**The End**

* * *

_There will be another story after this one, but it's a bit more beastly than the others and is taking me a while longer than I anticipated. In the meantime, look for an epilogue to "_Warriors_" that will also tie in with the next fic, as well as a few shorter pieces featuring the guys of Shadow Squad and possibly one or two more "_Stolen Moments."

___Thanks again for reading and reviewing! It means more than I can really say to know that other folks are reading and enjoying these stories even a little bit as much as I'm enjoying writing them! _


	10. EpiloguePreview For Your Eyes Only

_So, what _really _happened on Florrum after Obi-Wan and Anakin switched their drugged drinks for "regular" ones? To wrap up _Warriors of Shadow _and tie it in to the story to come, here's a little one-shot for you..._

**For Your Eyes Only**

Obi-Wan looked up as the chime on his door sounded. "Come in." He raised his eyebrows as Anakin entered the room, a wry grin on his face. "What's gotten into you?"

His former Padawan took a seat beside Obi-Wan at the small, round table where the Jedi Master was engrossed in the latest intel gathered by the Council. "_We _got a message," he said, holding up a small holo-transmitter.

"We get a lot of messages, Anakin," Obi-Wan replied with a sigh, setting the 'pad down and regarding the younger man. "What is so special about this one, if I may ask?"

Anakin shrugged and twirled the transmitter in the air between them using the Force. "I'm not sure," he said as they watched the floating device. "I haven't played it."

"Anakin-"

Mouth quirking, Anakin lowered the transmitter to the table and glanced at his former Master. "All I know is that it's from Master Halcyon," he said, his words careful. At the mention of her name, Obi-Wan inhaled once, but merely nodded as Anakin activated the device. Moments later, Kalinda's familiar form flickered to life before them.

"She cut off all her hair?" Obi-Wan said, leaning forward. "Why in the blazes would she do that?"

"Shhhh," Anakin replied, holding his finger to his mouth.

Kali smiled at the viewer. "Greetings, Generals," she said. "I certainly hope that you're doing well. As you may or may not know, my squad and I just returned from a mission to Florrum, where we uncovered some very...interesting goings on, involving the Weequay pirates that you both encountered about a month ago."

"Hondo Ohnaka's gang?" Anakin said, his eyes narrowing. "This _should_ be interesting."

Obi-Wan nodded, his hand on his beard as he watched Kali's hologram. She seemed to be savoring something, taking a moment to pause; her gaze turned as if she could see him – though he knew it was impossible – he found himself being drawn to her dark eyes. "But this isn't the reason I sent this message," she continued, her tone light and conversational. "I actually wanted to thank you both for the very thorough reports on your dealings with the pirates – they were most helpful." Here she stopped again, her head ducking and Obi-Wan knew that she was trying to hide her smile; despite himself he found that he was smiling as well.

Finally she looked up and cleared her throat. "But more helpful than all of your information was the...tactical strategy that I picked up from your shared experiences," she continued, her expression smoothing. "'What strategy?' you may ask? Well," she paused and glanced to some unseen person at her side. "Weave? Will you start it, please?"

After a moment an image appeared in her stead. "That looks like a security camera-feed," Anakin said, leaning forward, his eyes narrowed. "From Hondo's place." He and Obi-Wan exchanged glances before looking back at the image, which was a wide angle shot of the festival hall of the pirate base, though the camera zoomed in closer until Obi-Wan could make out the long table where he and Anakin had sat for the banquet. "Look, there we are," Anakin added, pointing to the center of the image. "What is this all about, Master?"

"I'm sure she has her reasons," Obi-Wan replied, though he found that he was perplexed as well. At this point in the vid they were seated while Ohnaka leaned between them, speaking and gesturing as they were brought a few cups of ale. Obi-Wan watched his and Anakin's images switch their mugs with those of the pirates next to them.

Suddenly the holovid paused and Kali's voice sounded, though she did not appear. "This is where it starts to get interesting," she said, her tone businesslike. "On a side note: nice job switching the mugs. Obviously, yours were drugged." She paused while the video resumed, showing Obi-Wan and Anakin toasting one another and sipping from their cups as they spoke. "And now you are free to imbibe a little bit," she continued. "Naturally, you don't want to refuse Hondo's hospitality."

Anakin shook his head as he watched their images drink the ale. "What's the point behind all this? What's she..." He trailed off as the image paused again and Kali's voice sounded once more.

"And _here's_ where it gets educational," she said. Though she sounded neutral, Obi-Wan knew her voice well enough to know that she was grinning. "Anakin, I don't know if Obi-Wan has ever given you his 'don't drink to excess' speech, but you might want to learn by example in this case." The playback resumed and Obi-Wan could hear her speaking to someone in the background. "Can you boost the audio any more?" Immediately, the sounds of the pirate banquet filled Obi-Wan's cabin, along with other, more familiar voices – their own.

"Is that...?" Anakin's mouth was hanging open as he watched the vid. "Did you really...?"

Obi-Wan shook his head. "I don't think that either of us would..." He frowned. "Well, I certainly don't remember _that." _The audio of the footage revealed the sound of clapping and jeering, followed by the clinking of glasses. "Or that." They were silent for a few moments, watching.

"Master, I had no idea you were so light on your feet," Anakin chuckled, his eyes on the feed. "You're an excellent dancer." He glanced at his former Master and shook his head.

"You're not so bad yourself, Anakin," Obi-Wan replied. "And on your hands, no less. Very impressive." He bit back a laugh as the younger man frowned. Suddenly, a clamor rose up from the vid and both Jedi leaned forward, their mouths falling open.

"No..." Anakin looked at him. "It has to be a fake. There's no way..."

Obi-Wan ran a hand through his beard but said nothing as he watched, shaking his head every few moments. Abruptly, the image halted again and Kalinda appeared once more. "It gets a little muddled here," she said, her hands folded in front of her, her face solemn. "There was a problem with the recording...anyway, I know that you're both _curious_ about the rest of the evening, so the guys are going to reenact this next bit for you...remember, this is as good an approximation as we could get, considering the quality of the feed." She nodded and the camera moved to face two clones, seated at a table within a ship's galley. "Crest, Milo: whenever you're ready."

The first clone, completely bald, flashed a grin to the camera before leaping from his seat and raising his mug. "I would like to propose another toast to our new friends," he shouted. "To the galaxy's most fearsome pirates..." He said something else, though it was intelligible as his words were slurred.

Anakin frowned. "Is he...is that supposed to be me?"

"It certainly sounds like you," Obi-Wan chuckled. "He's not bad, actually. I only wish we could understand what-" He was cut off as the next clone, a younger looking fellow with a full head of hair spoke in a crisp Coruscanti accent as he raised his own mug.

"Anakin, control your _insolence_," he shouted, the liquid sloshing over the rim of the cup as he gestured. "I'm trying to _concentrate!" _He took a deep drink from the mug and glanced down in frustration. "This is empty," he said to 'Anakin.' "Get me another, if you don't mind."

Beside him, Obi-Wan saw the younger Jedi's grin spread wide. He shot him a look, but Anakin merely shook his head, biting his glove to cover his laughter. "Come on, Master," he said at last. "Even you have to admit, he's pretty good."

"I'm not your Padawan any more," the bald clone replied. "You have two legs..."

'Obi-Wan' managed an indignant glare. "Two legs? What does the number of appendages that I possess have to do with anything, my very young former apprentice?"

The bald clone tossed the rest of his drink back and slammed the mug on the table before him with enough force to slosh the liquid within over the rim. "Legs equal the ability to _get your own drink,_" he replied. "As in, you can walk, right?"

It was Obi-Wan's turn to chuckle as Anakin frowned. "You're right," he mused, his hand in his beard once more. "They are talented, aren't they?"

Here the image panned back to Kali, who was laughing in earnest and applauding. "Great job, guys. Fantastic work, really." She looked back in the camera and took a deep breath, a smile still on her face. "The rest is more or less the same," she said, clearing her throat. "Anyway, I know that you're both very busy, so I won't hold you up any longer. I just wanted to thank you; the fact that I was able to complete our mission successfully was due – in part – to your fine examples."

Anakin frowned. "What?"

Kalinda put her hands behind her back and gave them a slight bow. "Not that we didn't have a little bit of trouble with the pirates," she continued. "But I found that it was _considerably _easier to deal with them as long as I didn't get quiteas...intoxicated, as either of you."

"We were drugged, obviously," Obi-Wan said, shaking his head. "I put it in the report."

Anakin nodded. "They must have spiked that ale, too. There's no way we could have gotten...like that from regular drinks."

"Now I know that you claim that the ale was 'poisoned,'" Kali said. "And for the sake of argument, I'll agree with you. But," she smiled again and Obi-Wan felt his heart leap at the expression. "In any case, I wanted to let you know that you don't have to worry about dear old Hondo spreading any...incriminating footage to the press. We managed to remove this particular vid from his custody." She held up a small datastick. "This is the only copy, so you can rest assured that it will be safe with me." Again, the grin that he knew so well. "Unless, of course, either of you give me any reason to disperse it throughout the Order, in which case I'm sure that many of the younger members could learn from your example, as I have."

Her hands clasped before her and she gave them another bow. "I'm sure our paths will one day cross again. May the Force be with you both." Again, it seemed as if her gaze moved to him and her voice softened. "Stay safe."

The transmission ended.

After a moment, the younger Jedi ran a hand through his hair. "She wouldn't." Anakin said, sitting up and looking at Obi-Wan. "Right?"

Taking a deep breath, Obi-Wan shook his head; memories flooded his mind. _She's seen me in far more extreme states, _he mused. _As I've seen her. Of all the people in the galaxy, I can't say that about anyone else. _He glanced back at Anakin and smiled. "Of course not, Anakin. It was only her way of teasing."

"That clone did a pretty good job, didn't he?" Anakin said with a chuckle as he rose from his seat. "I mean, he was dead on...'control your insolence...'" He laughed again and moved to the door. "Tell her I said thanks, would you?" he said, looking back at Obi-Wan.

"I'm not..."

Anakin rolled his eyes. "Yeah. Okay. Tell her, please?" With that, he slipped out of the room.

Obi-Wan looked at the transmitter.

After a moment he reached for the recording and activated it again. He watched it several more times before ending it abruptly and glancing at his comm. His fingers moved over the device, then moved back to his datapad; the process repeated itself three more times before he sighed and entered the code that would reach her.

Kali's image bloomed before him, familiar as his own. "I take it you got my message," she said by way of greeting. She was seated at the helm of a ship, her eyes were ahead of her, on the stars.

Obi-Wan nodded. "It was..."

"Entertaining?"

"I was going to say completely erroneous." He smiled as she rolled her eyes, though she did not meet his gaze.

"You can't fake something that genuine, Obi-Wan." She paused and glanced at something beside her, something he could not see. "You know I was kidding, right? I won't really share it with anyone," she added. "I'll destroy it, if you want."

He shook his head. "I know. And no, you don't have to. Anything that annoys Anakin that much should be kept intact." In response, she nodded and adjusted something on the helm. After a moment he cleared his throat. "You're busy...I should let you go."

At last she met his gaze, though it was only for an instant. "Is there something else?"

"No, Kalinda," he said after a pause. "Not at the moment, anyway. Though I should say congratulations are in order on another success." He gave her a smile; after a moment she returned it, albeit with a small one as she nodded.

"Thank you. Though, you should really tell that to the guys."

"The guys?"

She indicated the ship behind her. "Shadow Squad." A wide smile crept to her face. "They're extraordinary."

There was something in her tone that he recognized; though he couldn't have said why it perplexed him. "Well, then. Tell them for me, won't you?" He watched as she nodded again. "I almost forgot," he added. "Your hair."

"What about it?"

"You cut it," he replied. "I was just...it was unexpected."

She took a deep breath and looked again at some point off-screen. "It was time for a change, Obi-Wan," she said, meeting his eyes at last. "A much-needed change." He couldn't read her expression.

"It suits you," he said after a moment. "Though-" He checked himself. "In any case. I'm glad to see that you're doing well." It only took a small bit of effort to return his tone to a more businesslike one. "I hope to see you soon."

"May the Force be with you," she replied with a nod. "Good luck out there." With that, the image died and he was alone once more.

_Stay tuned for the next installment...as always, thanks for reading! (Also, I realize that I took a bit of creative liberty with some of the dialog...but it was too tempting not to!)_


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